Downpour

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Workout one for this week is in the bag. I love those times in life when you force yourself to do something you didn’t really want to do to start with, and it ends up being magical. Today a friend of mine put the all-call out for someone to watch her kids for her while she went to hang some of her artwork. And since her kids are my kids’ favorites, it was easy to say yes and invite them over. After they left, I really wanted to get a run in, and Bradley had already gone while the kids were over, so I told Gigi to get dressed and she would be my buddy. She grudgingly went and put on her gear, and once we got started, she rocketed ahead of me. I tried to keep up with her, but she stayed just beyond the point where we could have a conversation… I was disappointed, having been seeking a bonding opportunity with my daughter, but I understood. I was ten, once, too and I remember my mom forcing me to do stuff. But still. Sniff.
About a mile into the run, she got a stitch in her side and had to walk, and turned to me full of accusing tears. “My side hurts!” She hollered at me. I told her that was fine, we could walk, and she just leaned into me, out her arm around me, and gave in. We walked quietly for a bit, and finally she was ready to run again. Just as we took off, the clouds burst open and started weeping down on us plentifully. The downpour washed away all the grief and hard feelings she was harboring, and suddenly I was running with my baby again; she came alive and we started chattering about Winnie the Pooh and blustery days and how Piglet might fare in our storm. We laughed, we ran, we hopped in puddles and played. By the time we got home, we were steaming, soaked to the bone and feeling alive and full of love! We talked our boys into a short mile around the block, and they came too, donning rubber boots and umbrellas. The rain finally let up right when we saw our house, perfect timing. We ended our workout with a soak in the hot tub and warm jammies for all. I couldn’t be more satisfied with today’s workout.