Getting Back on the Horse

I’m a fair weather fan of exercise. I love the endorphins and the act of doing it. I hate the preparation and making the decision to do it. So, you can imagine what I did (or didn’t do) once I got pregnant. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t lay around ALL the time. I just used it as an excuse to stop running. And I used the winter months to grow a baby. I did spend a lot of time walking once the Iowa weather warmed up. It was my only attempt at making sure my body was prepared for birth. (And the dog needed it too!)

Next excuse: I just had a c-section. I wasn’t anxiously awaiting my doctor’s approval to get back to my pre-baby life. I was still getting used to my new life. Breastfeeding takes a while to get used to. By six weeks, my body and baby had figured it out. But my body and my baby were hanging out every two hours. I spent my “free” time eating, showering, sleeping, or blogging. Priorities, people. Priorities. Unless it helps your mental state, don’t spend that little bit of free time exercising. Ick!

Fast forward eight months. I’ve got more free time. I have a couple of hours each night to do what I want. Laundry, clean, cook, blog, work, read, or sleep. Night after night I’ve watched Bryan put on his running shoes. And I haven’t once felt guilty or envious. Most of the time I roll my eyes at him and tell him running is disgusting. 🙂 In fact, I’ve announced or more than one occasion that I may never exercise again.

I’ve had a lot going on lately. Some of it follows me where ever I go. Some of it just piles on top. Some of it fades away. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how something has got to give. I’m stuck in the same routine. Work, home, couch, bed…repeat. I’m too exhausted to add in much more. (Ah, that’s why you haven’t been blogging? Ok.)

Tonight I decided to lace up my running shoes and see where they took me. Well, I knew where. It was too cold and windy to run outside. I just didn’t know how long they’d keep me going. I know I’ll regret it tomorrow. After almost two years of nothing rigorous, I ran two miles! There were aches and pains and a little breathing re-learning, but it went well.

I’m not sure when I’ll do it again, but it was great for me tonight. It was exactly what I needed…even if I didn’t really want to do it.