The runner's widow...

I mentioned in the last post that there would be more about starting training in October. Without further adieu...I give you the runner's widow:

Running is something that I do because I enjoy it, it makes me healthy, and it helps me feel like I am contributing to the fight against NF. At best running is altruistic and at worst it is down right selfish. I am aware of the latter but probably don't show appreciation often enough for my wife's (the runner's widow)contribution to training.

When I pick a race day for a major fundraising event we figure out if the date works in our family's schedule. I signed up for the Indianapolis Minimarathon in October and the race is on May 3. I don't want to do the math but I can tell you that a lot of days come between those two months.

As an athlete who trains 5 sometimes 6 days a week that means a lot of time away from the family. Since I rarely leave the house for a run shorter than 3 miles every workout lasts at least 30 minutes when you add in stretching and changing. Some long runs take as long as 3 hours with all of the things involved in the process (getting fuel ready, stretching, ice bath, shower). Those minutes and hours quickly add up. Easily hundreds of miles will have been logged by the time the gun sounds.

While I am out on the road my family is back home. Without Liz's support I would never be able to achieve the goals that I have set or train as hard as I'd like. I know that training pulls me away from my time from my family but Liz keeps everything together for us.

When I do long runs using a loop that passes by the house, Liz keeps my water filled for me. When I insist that we have pasta every Friday night before a long run she goes along with the craziness. When I tell her about negative splits on the run or some other running babble she listens.

I try to support Liz in her interests and encourage her to take time for herself but the scales are hard to set even. Many runner's acknowledge that their sport is selfish and the pursuit of faster times in a race impacts other aspects of regular life. Still we do our track repeats. We run our LSD's. We show up an hour early on race day to loosen up and find our place at the start line. Without the runner's widow these things wouldn't be possible. Thank you Liz for your support of my passion for running. Without you it wouldn't be possible!