I went on my last run on Monday morning. Almost every run for the last two or three weeks has been my "last," but somehow, the next day, I get up and do it all over again. And at the end of it, I tell myself (and Jeremy, poor guy) that that was my last one.
But Monday's really was the very last one, and I'm hoping that by putting it on this blog, it will be more official. Of course, I was hoping to be able to continue running for at least a little bit longer during this pregnancy, but at 25 weeks, it just wasn't feeling good anymore.
The problem is, I am really struggling with this sudden hole in my life. I've run regularly off and on (I promise that description makes sense) for 13 years now - half of my entire life. In high school, it was cross country and (distance) track every year, for four years. I ran the occasional road race in college and managed to be in Portland a few years in a row for the Columbia Classic 15K - one of my favorite races ever, besides the Hood/Portland to Coast relay.
Our year living in Moscow necessitated a break from exercising out of doors in the city. We played tennis at Rosinka a few times while visiting friends, and the embassy gym was also great for using the elliptical machine while watching CNN International. I suppose I could have gone running outside except that a friend of a friend went running faithfully every day in Moscow and when he got back to America, his doctor took one look at his lungs and told him he needed to stop smoking so much.
The most adventurous exercising I did in the Middle East was going on walks, exploring ruins, and just living everyday life (it takes a lot out of you sometimes).
But here in Tucson, I've always gone running, always with Miriam in the jogging stroller. It's been the only reliable "me" time I get, since Miriam has learned that when we are running, she has to leave me alone.
And now I feel disgustingly sedate and inactive. I hate walking, but I have a feeling that that's going to be my only option soon. I am still biking, but it takes more time and effort to set up (Miriam in the bike trailer) and the fewer obstacles in the way of exercise, the better.
So it's farewell to running, for a few months at least. I hope by the time we get back to Tucson in late August, I will be almost ready to get going again.
But Monday's really was the very last one, and I'm hoping that by putting it on this blog, it will be more official. Of course, I was hoping to be able to continue running for at least a little bit longer during this pregnancy, but at 25 weeks, it just wasn't feeling good anymore.
The problem is, I am really struggling with this sudden hole in my life. I've run regularly off and on (I promise that description makes sense) for 13 years now - half of my entire life. In high school, it was cross country and (distance) track every year, for four years. I ran the occasional road race in college and managed to be in Portland a few years in a row for the Columbia Classic 15K - one of my favorite races ever, besides the Hood/Portland to Coast relay.
Our year living in Moscow necessitated a break from exercising out of doors in the city. We played tennis at Rosinka a few times while visiting friends, and the embassy gym was also great for using the elliptical machine while watching CNN International. I suppose I could have gone running outside except that a friend of a friend went running faithfully every day in Moscow and when he got back to America, his doctor took one look at his lungs and told him he needed to stop smoking so much.
The most adventurous exercising I did in the Middle East was going on walks, exploring ruins, and just living everyday life (it takes a lot out of you sometimes).
But here in Tucson, I've always gone running, always with Miriam in the jogging stroller. It's been the only reliable "me" time I get, since Miriam has learned that when we are running, she has to leave me alone.
And now I feel disgustingly sedate and inactive. I hate walking, but I have a feeling that that's going to be my only option soon. I am still biking, but it takes more time and effort to set up (Miriam in the bike trailer) and the fewer obstacles in the way of exercise, the better.
So it's farewell to running, for a few months at least. I hope by the time we get back to Tucson in late August, I will be almost ready to get going again.