For the Love of Running

Today I am grateful for our dog Oliver and the relationships we have with him, individually and collectively. I am also grateful for a run outside yesterday.

It has been bitterly cold here the last couple of weeks and we've also had "nuisance" snow to keep roads and trails a bit treacherous at times. That has kept me indoors for more of my exercise. I will run outside in almost anything though, so I ventured out in the cold a couple of times this week.

One of those times was yesterday afternoon. I appreciate that I have the right attire so I can layer for warmth and then keep my hands and face warm enough. It takes some time to get ready, but it is well worth it when I start down the road or trail. It was just 20 minutes yesterday, but it was sure refreshing.

For the love of running, I bundle up. For the love of running, I get up early many Saturdays throughout the year to do training runs. For the love of running, I strength train and invest in quality shoes. For the love of running, I stay committed to it.

There was a recent article in Runner's World  titled the "The Love of Your Life." It's by Marc Parent, a regular contributor to the magazine. I love his sense of humor and writing style. I was going to link the online story here, but I couldn't find it. I know you can find it in the print version of the January/February 2018 edition.

The article compares our relationship with running to marriage and other long-term relationships. It goes through the 5 stages of each--The Honeymoon, The Return to Reality, Adversity Strikes, The Crossroads, and Mature Love.

It was a good read and I found plenty I could relate to regarding my relationship with running. And with my husband Darcy, who also happens to be a regular running partner of mine.

I am very grateful to both Darcy and running and what they bring to my life. I am definitely committed to another year of mature love directed at both. Looking for the good and finding it.

And closing with a few of Parent's words from the article:

"Mature Love runners know how to run, when to run, why to run, and with or without whom. They know when to push it, when to pull back, and what to eat when doing either." 

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