Tried to run today. Since the whole covid outbreak, I really haven’t worked out much, it’s really been the past three weeks that I’ve tried to kick my ass back in gear. Suddenly the realization dawned on me that this was not temporary, nothing was changing anytime soon, and I needed to still work out. So this morning I took my 6 year old to the very flat track of a nearby park. He road his bike next to me, or that was the plan. We got to the park and there were no other cars, and I thought, ‘awesome, only ones here!’. Oooohhhh no. Two teens were making out in the circular slide. They didn’t say anything to me, and I never made eye contact, but I couldn’t help but think, what more could kill the mood than an overweight, wheezing runner and her 6 year old? They were determined though, kept going at it the whole time. For all 8 times I made it around that damn loop, they were lip locked. I was impressed with their tenacity. I was also tempted to give them a safe sex lecture, but I restrained my inner NP and public health nut.

During the run, Finn gave up three rounds in, he sat on a bench and ate a granola bar. Every time I passed him, he handed me the water bottle and said,”great job Mom!”. Sometimes I think I’m failing as a mother, but this makes me feel like I’m doing ok. He stuck with me and I pounded out those two and a half miles. Several times I wanted to wait, but he was watching, so I kept running. He has no idea I’m slow and fat. To him, I’m a runner, and that makes me want to keep running. He doesn’t know that I ‘don’t look like a runner.’. every race should have 6 year olds handing out water and encouragement. The pure trust and faith in his eyes that I could do anything, be anything, was soul wrenching, and made me try much harder than I ever would by myself.

For my triathlon I need to run two miles (after swimming 400 yards and biking 13 miles). In about a month. We shall see how it goes. Stay tuned.