In describing my family I would say that we are not fast but we are persistent. This seems to be the theme in most aspects of life; willing to do the work and slog through the hard parts to reach the finish line. We are not flashy “first finishers” but we do finish. We are the workhorses in the background. Yes, think Clydesdales.
Or Friesians, depending on what kind of hair day it is.
In keeping with this slow but steady/don’t flame out early motif, I seem to have passed on the metabolism that would keep us alive if there was some horrific food shortage. When I was in high school I used to say that if I had been a concentration camp survivor I would have come out with decent weight on me; my body uses every freakin’ calorie as if it were the last. I think it uses some of them twice to tell you the truth. And growing up with Twiggy exemplifying the coveted “look” made it interesting; athletic girls and women were not the norm and I thank heaven for Title IX! When I tell younger women about girls’ basketball rules “back then” they stare in disbelief….then laugh hysterically…makes me feel as old as a suffragette, it does. But that’s another story.
Add into this metabolic mix Rebecca‘s meds, some treated depression (Lexapro and a good therapist have been a godsend for her) and all the stuff that has gone down in the last few years and she struggles with her weight more than any of us. She is living proof of how junk food and inactivity messes with both physical and mental health. This last year has been spent recovering and she has made great progress. Part of her therapy has been running.
I think running to run is a reward in itself but it is more fun when there is a goal in mind. To this end Rebecca and I decided to do the Norfolk Freedom Run 5K. The run supports the Wounded Warrior Project so it was a double bonus! A training plan was made and when the day arrived, cold and clear, she was ready!
We met William and Kate and some friends of theirs at the start; it was good medicine to be around so many runners. Learning how the timing chips worked (not so very well this year), looking at the map route and being “up for the race” were energizing. Stretching, chatting, hanging with the big dogs…..yep, that was us.
The gun finally went off and we beeped across the timing mat. There were runners in costume (it’s really hard to laugh and run at the same time) and the new scenery made the miles slip behind us in a pretty painless fashion. Along the river, around the USS Wisconsin, through the Pagoda grounds (where someone crashed and burned and medical support came quickly….that provided us a brief adrenaline rush) and soon we were at the finish. Done. Her first real 5K, completed in style.
The medals were bonus and although we took them off when we got home, we proudly wore the shirts the rest of the day. It was one of those beautiful Virginia autumn days so we took Chewy and Crown and walked the Noland Trail 5 mile loop. Just like the turtles on the logs we luxuriated in the soft air, stunning colors and sunshine. All too soon we finished the loop; we tossed our manes and headed back to the barn.
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