Yes… But I Ran.
This Sunday, after a stressful week, I went for a trail run. I got out early to beat the heat, I had my hydration vest with a water bottle, nothing hurt, and it was a beautiful run… just what I needed. After I came home, showered, and ate breakfast, I was sitting on the couch reading blogs. My cat came to sit on my lap and I lay my head back and started to doze. This is the life!—— “MOM!!!! You said you’d help me with science fair!” NO! NO! Nononononononononoooooooooooo!!! It’s the DREADED SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT. I don’t know about you, but our family has always hated science fair. We’re just not good at it- something always goes wrong with the experiment, and we’re terrible at putting the board together. We’re musical, but not visually artistic (as you will soon see.) Years ago, this humorous science fair board was making the rounds of the internet, and it definitely sums up the experience! Okay, fine. My daughter had already conducted the experiment (the “half-baked idea of dubious merit.”) We got to work printing, cutting, and gluing… and finally came up with this beauty: It really wouldn’t be so bad if the title didn’t look like a ransom note. I suggested we put some music notes on for decoration, but my daughter felt it was better not to draw too much attention to her board. Okay, fine- it is what it is. And what it is, is DONE. I went from working on the science board to baking a cake, to doing laundry, to making dinner… many times during the afternoon I thought “This was not how I wanted to spend my day off,” but then I would go back to that trail run. I felt like part of my mind was still there and I experienced the same pleasure as I had while actually running. Even my little “injuries”- a spot on my shoulder where my hydration pack chafed, and a wound on my leg from a prickly plant- were reminders of my morning adventure. The feeling is strongest on the days I do a trail run, but any run will do it. No matter what I’m faced with for the rest of the day, I can look back to the morning and think “Yes, but I ran.” Thanks to Kim and Zenaida for hosting Tuesday Topics! Are you a morning runner? Do you feel like your morning workout stays with you for the rest of the day?