My views on running and why I might be crazy

So I told you a couple weeks ago that the Nashville Half Marathon was going on and not only was Amy from May All Beings Be Well coming in town to run in it, but quite a few people from Scott's office were running as well. 

My husband has gotten the training bug a couple times after talking to his friends about races and mostly he talks about how fun it would be to do a triathlon or an Iron Man...together...as in WITH ME.  This isn't entirely off the wall, considering we love to train together and normally, I laugh him off, but as he received text updates from his office mates as to their race times and recovery methods, he looked at me and said, "We should totally run in the half marathon next year."

Let me pause here a moment and tell you that I really enjoy running.  I enjoy it as an activity and as a weight loss method.  That's it.  I've never competed or run in any kind of race post elementary school field days.  

I prefer to run sprint intervals because it takes WAY less time than distance and, when I go for distance, I like to run through neighborhoods so I can look at people's houses and flowerbeds and dream about what I might do one day.   I don't like timing myself and I enjoy the freedom of being able to putz and walk when I want and go at my own pace. In fact, when my friend Kathy was training for the NYC Marathon, the idea of running 20+ miles in a day perplexed my (then) mid-20's mind.  And really today, it just seems near impossible.  

So I looked at my dear husband, sitting beside me on the couch after a long day of child raising and said, "Sure, honey."

"No, I'm serious," he said.  "We should do it next year.  We could do it together, wouldn't that be fun?"

I patted him on the leg to let him know that I thought he was very sweet and said again,  nodding, "Sure, honey."  

And then it happened.  He raised up his hand for a high five.

*groan*

This was as good as a signed agreement, my blood on paper, my first born...the dreaded high five.

That's when my arguments started.

"Well, who is going to watch our little children?"  I retorted.

"I am sure that SOMEONE will watch the girls," he answered.

"How will we train for this?  We don't have time to run 13 miles!"  I whined.

"We can take turns and do our long runs on the weekends.  [The new neighborhood] has great trails and paths that we can use," Mr. Wonderful retorted.

"Ok, but you can't blow me away.  You have to run with me," I pleaded.

"Nope,"  he said flatly.  (Geez, you beat a guy in ONE race...)

After several silent minutes went by and his hand was still raised, I gave in and high-fived him.

So people, we are going to run in the Nashville Half Marathon next year...  yay

This will begin a whole new series of training with children and my husband and I will be excited to try and accomplish something new.  So my griping is about 95% tongue-in-cheek.  

Now seriously, any takers on watching these kids?? :)