Running the GW Team Marathon with friends from SW Fort Belvoir circa 2018. These ladies got me back to running after baby #3.
This morning I was chatting with a Stroller Warriors friend about their family’s PCS--a PCS where everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, then sprinkled with the worry of first day of school jitters. I wish I had the ability to reach through the phone and give her a hug, or teleport myself to her location and run it out. Alas, those two options were not possible, so I offered an ear.
I stepped out the door for a run shortly after getting off the phone. My run was not pretty! The dog stopped many times to sniff, I stopped several times to cool off in the shade, and I began chaffing because I wore the wrong shorts; however, I was determined to finish the run despite these hiccups.
I quickly switched gears and thought about the telephone conversation I had right before I left to run. I love to use running as a life comparison tool. Running keeps me balanced. Like military life where one hits that jackpot with an awesome assignment or a PCS that runs seamlessly, I have incredible runs where I feel like I can run a marathon or hit a PR! Then I have a run like today where I just want to stop, like a PCS gone awry! I realize during those difficult runs, like today, that I need to switch gears. So, today, I ran for my friend— channeling my bad run frustration and my friend’s vexing PCS situation through my feet and right into the pavement.
One thing I love about Stroller Warriors- we know that it is OKAY to lean in, to vent about the positives and negatives of this military lifestyle (a life that many don’t understand), to share about our lives and all without judgement— offering an ear on a run, while our kids play at the park, at a SW coffee meet-up, or over the phone. Like running, Stroller Warrior friends fill my cup. They provide sunshine on a gloomy day. They are here!
Happy Running!
Rose
I stepped out the door for a run shortly after getting off the phone. My run was not pretty! The dog stopped many times to sniff, I stopped several times to cool off in the shade, and I began chaffing because I wore the wrong shorts; however, I was determined to finish the run despite these hiccups.
I quickly switched gears and thought about the telephone conversation I had right before I left to run. I love to use running as a life comparison tool. Running keeps me balanced. Like military life where one hits that jackpot with an awesome assignment or a PCS that runs seamlessly, I have incredible runs where I feel like I can run a marathon or hit a PR! Then I have a run like today where I just want to stop, like a PCS gone awry! I realize during those difficult runs, like today, that I need to switch gears. So, today, I ran for my friend— channeling my bad run frustration and my friend’s vexing PCS situation through my feet and right into the pavement.
One thing I love about Stroller Warriors- we know that it is OKAY to lean in, to vent about the positives and negatives of this military lifestyle (a life that many don’t understand), to share about our lives and all without judgement— offering an ear on a run, while our kids play at the park, at a SW coffee meet-up, or over the phone. Like running, Stroller Warrior friends fill my cup. They provide sunshine on a gloomy day. They are here!
Happy Running!
Rose
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