College started for me in the fall of 1985. One afternoon after class I noticed the Westmar track team gathered in the dorm lobby for a training run. Among the swarm of runners, I spied my friend, Larry Uhl. Catching Larry's eye gave me added comfort and courage to grab my running shoes and join them. I now was a "walk-on" to the track team. Although the training runs were fun and Larry pure entertainment (this was back in Larry's Afro days), the first track meet was an eye opener for me. I didn't take the training seriously and I believe I was lapped at least twice (small indoor track, mind you) in the one mile run by two very thin athletic girls with long blond pony tails. I would tell you the color of their eyes and the prettiness of their faces, but I never saw such a thing as my view was trailing their behinds. I slowly retired from the Westmar track team after this less than stellar outing. This brought an abrupt end to my college athletic career. And I can not tell a lie; I did not return my fleece lined track warm up. I have always felt a bit guilty about this. But since the college shut down within a few years after my graduation; I didn't have an outlet to correct my wrong doing of the past. I have since given it to Goodwill out of guilt.
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| I am second from the left, front row, big hair. |
Yes, I do have to own the pathetic fact that I fell in the majority of freshmen girls who gained the "freshman 15" (or some number around there). There was not a lot of running the second semester of my freshman year. But a summer at home got me back on track and resurrected my Remsen running routine. Fresh faced, back in shape, and ready to conquer my Sophomore year, I began a new running routine in LeMars, my college town. After I met Scott (and his friend, B.L.) and we started dating, he and B.L. would join me on my runs. They were both wrestlers and professed to their training plan and quest to stay in peak shape. As Scott and my relationship progressed, he didn't feel the need to impress me anymore. It was then that he and B.L. confessed that they both hated running. There was no more of Scott impressing me or B.L. taking one for the team. I was once again a solo runner.
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| I am the smiling runner with turquoise shorts :) |
Following graduation, Scott and I moved to Omaha. Other than a few of Scott's family members, I knew no one. A friend from college encouraged me to find and join a local running group. She assured me that almost every major city had a running club and it was something I should look into. So, pre-Internet and Google, I found the "Omaha Running Club" in the phone book yellow pages and left a message inquiring about membership on their hot line. Within a two year time span, I become a very active member in ORC. I ran and volunteered at races weekly, joined with their monthly "Ladies of the Evening" running group, sat on their board of director's, and eventually was voted in as club president. Although following the birth of baby #2, my participation came to an abrupt halt; I have many life long friends from ORC, great memories, and the honor of being named a Lifetime Member. My ORC years were not about logging in miles, but how fast I ran the miles and beating my personal best times. I believe my fastest 5K was just over 21 minutes (somewhere in between the births of Zach and Ben). It was all about running fast and collecting race t-shirts from the variety of races entered. I would wear those heavy 100% cotton over sized t-shirts on most runs (dry fit anyone??) matched with colorful shorts. It was during this time period that my parents bought me one of the best presents (or better phrased...most used present) I ever received: a baby runner as a Mother's Day gift in 1993. Zach was 4 weeks old.
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| Zach and me (1993) |
I had to wait a couple of weeks before testing out my new gift. The pediatrician advised me to wait until Zach was 6 weeks old before allowing him to ride in the runner (neck strength). I was so excited, waiting for the day of freedom where I could take my little bundle of joy out into the fresh air and enjoy a run together. The day came and I had little Zach Man decked out in his best outfit...including shoes (the need at 6 weeks?? good question) and a matching hat; ready to be an "easy rider". It was glorious. He loved it. My only regret is not putting an odometer on this mobile invention. I can't even begin to guess the number of miles logged by the time I retired it fourteen years and three kids later.
Each kid showed their individual personality as my sidekick in the runner. Zach was always the perfect first child as my companion; rarely fussed and enjoyed the ride. Since he was my only at the time, we had the benefit of running free whenever I felt the urge. Benny, on the other hand, was a wild man and constant entertainer. As a chubby infant with a big smile, he caught every one's eye and attention. As a toddler, he almost always brought a form of food or refreshment with him. Favorite memories are of Ben in the runner sucking on a popsicle or lollipop. Once he brought a piece of cake on a plate and ate it with a plastic fork as I pushed him on a run. People would just bust a gut when they saw me slaving over pushing this smiley guy while he savored his sweets. As for Grant, I couldn't get him out of the runner. I believe he was seven when I finally had to point out to him the fine print with weight limit restrictions. Only then could I convince him that he was, in fact, too old and too heavy to safely ride in this contraption.
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| Some hugs after a run |
After my ORC days and with Ben as a toddler and me busy as a working mom with two boys, I was back to solo running. I would squeeze in runs when I could around my family's busy schedule. After enjoying the camaraderie of running with others, it was a bit lonely to be back at it alone again (adult interaction, that is). My prayers were answered on a chance run in with an old friend at the gym. I had know Angy for years; she grew up in LeMars and we shared the same babysitter when our oldest children were infants. Angy just had her third child and was telling me how she was back running again. She ran with two other moms in her neighborhood at wee hours of the morning before the kids or husbands were even awake; did I want to join them? And that is where the early morning runs began for me. It started with this small group of moms running a five mile route at 5:30 on weekday mornings. The core three runners were Angy, Kristi and myself. We were three small town Iowa girls of the same age and with kids of the same age. Our conversations centered around potty training, child bearing, terrible twos, spouses, work and life in general. Eventually the run was merely a formality. It was the friendship and conversations with my running comrades that got me out of bed in the morning and gave me strength of mind in addition to benefiting my physical well being.
Over the next few years I had baby #3 and this morning running group went through many phases, changes and people. We would invite other friends and acquaintances to join us on our morning runs. Some stuck with it and others moved on for various reasons. On the rare occasions when we would get out as a group for dinner or a drink, we would stare at each other in dismay at our "day looks". We marveled at how well we all "cleaned up". You see, running at 5:30 does not include cute running clothes or any primping. Kristi's claim to fame is the "dance, dance, dance" shirt she has owned since high school drill team that she sports on our runs (vintage = hip?...maybe). And although I do brush my teeth prior to running, Kristi outdoes me by putting on deodorant; an extra step that I do not take at 5:15 a.m.. Needless to say we are a sight for sore eyes on our morning runs. There is no glam, but instead a lot of outdated running clothes and wayward hair. But the conversation and story sharing are top notch.
(Part III will follow...midlife and beyond)
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