Push On Peeps!

I have been both tired and sore from this weekend. Between Max's 5th (!) birthday, the parties, my brother being in town and the half marathon, I'm just plain tuckered out.

Since the race, the other kids have been begging to begin training. Something about seeing their brother being cheered for, having that medal put around his neck and receiving all the free stuff, inspired them.

Yesterday was a cold and rainy day so a run would have been the end of the training. I know I should have tried for a recovery run but to tell the truth, my idea of recovering from running is, well, not to run.

It's been hard to do many things. Bending down is almost out of the question and the stairs? Oh I never, ever hate my house...except the day or two after a race when it feels like fire to climb those stairs.

Today, however, there was finally a little break from the rain so we went for it. What a sight we must have been, the five of us heading out. It would be short since three of them hadn't run since last year and the little guy, he's all about the long hall until he runs for 2 minutes.

We did it though, a mile and a half of rolling hills at a very reasonable pace. When Max tired out, the other kids were passing us on the way back so I carried on while he turned and joined them. That's when I was able to pick up the pace and keep running until I turned around and caught back up with them.

Those few moments of running were the best my legs felt all day. Turns out there might be something to this whole recovery run thing after all. 

Tonight as the muscles tightened back up, I thought about the run and how instead of increasing the pain, which, by the way, it absolutely did for the first few minutes, it took it away. Pushing through and hitting a stride was worth the brief inconvenience.

How many times in my life I do this very thing? How often do I put up with the pain instead of pushing through to relief? The push is often scary and uncomfortable but it's always better than just enduring.

Push on peeps!