Runner's medium

All of my runs since having Sophia have been painful, tedious, and not much fun. I've kept on, though, because I have a vague memory of when running used to be great. I actually used to love hills, especially for passing people during a race.* Not now. Generally speaking these days, hills suck, along with the rest of my run.

So today was a momentous occasion.

I left to go for my run feeling pretty crappy and not really wanting to go. I wanted to get my 10 miles in this week like I did last week, though, and today was the last day to do it.

Once I stopped griping in my head, and told myself to enjoy it I finally started to notice how bright and sunny it was. And how nice it was to NOT be pushing the jogging stroller. And how good the sun felt on my face.

And about halfway into my run, everything clicked.

My arms and legs and lungs and posture and stride all worked together, and I felt . . . good. Not runner's high great, but good. And that was a first since before being pregnant.

So today I coined a new phrase. Instead of runner's high, I experienced runner's medium. Not the low I had been having, but a preview of what is to come. And it's going to keep me running, because it reminded me of what is out there, just waiting for me.

*Not because I have awesome quads of steel or anything, but I do tend to run hills better than other folks who are as slow as I am, because I have learned to enjoy the challenge.