In high school I used to be that girl that came in last during running practice. When we ran through the parc I used every bush as an opportunity to walk instead of running. I despised running: it made me hot, it made me sweat and it made my head look like a very ripe tomato. It there'd been a t-shirt saying: 'Running sucks' I would have been proud to wear it.
Runners were strange and mysterious people who didn't use a red light to take a break but continued to run in place. I could only shake my head in wonderment at such stupidity.
But after the birth of my son Ot, a friend who came to see me told me about her daily runs. She described running through parks, passing ducks in ponds on the way, feeling the sun on her face and thinking to herself: 'Isn't life great'. 'And,' she told me 'running gives me peace of mind.'
Despite my hate for running my interest was piqued, because in my busy life as a mom of five I was always looking for peace of mind. Could it be true that all I had to do to find it was to run out the door? I found a schedule for beginning runners on the internet, and for a week I took a daily walk for half an hour. I carried my son Ot with me in a baby sling. After a week I was allowed to run 1 minute!
The schedule gave me something to hold on to, and made me continue my runs. Slowly but surely I could last longer and finally I reached my goal: to run for half an hour. I was so proud of myself! Look at me! The girl that was so bad at running at school.
Running does indeed give me peace of mind, just as my friend promised. It provides me with a sense of balance and satisfaction. It's hard to feel down, after a thirty minute run, and believe me: I've tried. And getting my figure back was a nice bonus. It's always nice to tell people I have five children and see the surprise in their eyes.
This blog is for all those moms looking for some peace and balance in their life.
