So I visited my mom this weekend. We had a great time. She really cracks me up. I can make her laugh easily by just being silly, so that’s how I spent the four days-in a perpetual state of silliness. Not bad, right?
On my last evening we ate at a Peruvian restaurant. I ordered hot sauce and dumped a lot of it on the food. Then mom watched in horror as I ate a bite, pounded my hand on the table, and said, “Oh my gosh! I’m burning my face off!” over and over again. The girls laughed, too, as they are used to this behavior. I have this love for anything spicy and I try to see how spicy I can get. My the end of dinner I was sweating-oh joy! It was bliss!
After dinner I rolled out my sore knee. I spent the time on the floor saying, “Oh my gosh this hurts!” and then continuing to roll, roll, roll! I then massaged the points of pain in my leg while mom watched and shook her head with each, “Oooh! That one hurt!” I exclaimed.
Finally I told her about long distance running, and about how you sometimes have to defecate a lot- some people doing so on the side of the road – and how your toenails might turn black and how some people actually lose their nail.
As I shared these stories with mom she watched and listened and nodded and shook her head. I realized how some of the stories must sound to a non runner. Defecate on the side of the road? What?! Lose toenails-on purpose? Could it be?! Toes going numb mid-run? For fun?! And you pay to do this?
Then she said to me quite calmly, “What, did I raise a masochist?” and we both burst out laughing.
So what do you think, distance runners? All runners? Are we masochists to put up with the pain and then go back out there and pound the pavement again? Is there something in us that enjoys this, which is sometimes torture?!
I’ve written this before and I will write it again: I think that it is not that we enjoy pain but that we want to feel life fully. Experience it to the max. How else can you do that than when you stand at the starting line of a 26.2 mile race, not knowing how it will go, how it will be, and how you will feel (other than elated) when you get done?
Runners live their lives. No, we aren’t masochists. We just want to feel it all, the good and the bad, knowing that oftentimes the two go hand in hand – and that this balance makes it even more beautiful!
My birthday:
Thought I would share a funny picture of my bday. As you know I turned 25 again for the 14th year in a row. I don’t know how I got stuck on that number, 25, but it has stuck: See the candles that mom put on the cake? Then she put them back in the drawer for next year, when I will turn 25 for the 15th year in a row!
See? I am 25!
And then one of mom and me:
My mom and me
And then one for a laugh. She lives in a retirement community in Florida where the people have to be a certain age. As you know you shrink some when you age – or so it seems! – and so check out the placement of this stop sign on the pole. Mom says it is so those who can barely see over the steering wheels will be able to see the sign without having to crane their necks and look up. I almost peed my pants when she told me this!:
Today’s Run:
Today is my day off. I moved my schedule as planned and ran back to back on the weekend. Yesterday’s run was a good and strong 4.5 with no knee pain even after running 6 the day before. Did some core and arm work this morning, and will do a 5-6 miler tomorrow. Am hoping body can cope with a nice 9 or so on Saturday. It has been a while since I have been over 7 and I really want to get back to double digits again.
Hope all of your Monday runs are good ones!