I did it! I made a promise – to myself and to you – to go for a run today and I did. It was pretty good, but the WIND! I wish I had gone in the morning, instead of after lunch when the wind had picked up so much! I, in my not-so-infinite wisdom, decided to go for a run in a natural area close to my neighbourhood:
Problem is, at my miserly pace, I had just gotten there when it was time to turn around and go home 😛
And why, you ask, was my pace so miserly? Well, I have to blame some of it on the 50km/hr wind. It’s only been since I moved to Calgary that I came to understand what strong winds really are. These are forces that tear your car door out of your hand when you open it and break the hinges (this actually happened to me), that cause doors in your house to slam when you innocently leave windows open, that push kids on scooters along the street with no effort required.
So, in my efforts to get WEST to the target area of my run, I managed to choose to run INTO the prevailing winds. (That’s another thing I didn’t fully appreciate until moving to Calgary…all weather usually moves from west to east. Including the jet stream…that huge, powerful wind…you know…) Suffice it to say that the run was difficult, to say the least. Even the downhill parts were hard. However, the correlation was that coming home I was practically pushed all the way, and even the uphill parts felt easier.
In the end, I guess that despite the wind I am proud that I got out there and kept a healthy promise to myself. I also learned that strong winds don’t fall into my "fairweather running" ban…that one apparently only extends to liquid (and frozen) precipitation.
Who Has Seen the Wind?
By Christina Rosetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the leaves bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
Good for you to even get out there Kath. Congratulations on not being a fair-weather runner. Your next run will feel so easy!
way to go, cath! i know what you mean about the wind. whenever i visit my in-laws in calgary I’m always taken aback by the stunning beauty and the wind/dryness. You’re doing a fantastic job – can’t wait to hear more about your running adventures!
Thanks for your encouragement guys! And Maggie, don’t feel bad AT ALL about your last comment. Yes, times are busy, but when are they NOT for moms of young kids? Point is, you have to commit to make time for healthy habits. But you’re right, there are times when running will fall further down the priority list and might not make it onto the to-do list for a few days. Like this week, for instance – when I had to travel back to Ontario fairly suddenly to attend a family funeral. Take a full day for travel, a day of family visits, a day of funeral and memorial service activities, and another day for travel. Looks like I won’t be posting another “running journal” entry for another few days. But I look forward to getting back to it. And THAT’S gotta mean something.
If it’s not working now because you are too busy, you can look at a calendar and pick a date to commit to. I feel badly about my last comment: I know that life gets busy and sometimes we just cannot do everything we want to. If now is not the time for this, I’d hate for you to end up with a really negative relationship with exercise/running because you are feeling like it is yet another thing you HAVE to get done– it’s okay to say another time will work better.
I admire everything you’ve done and I so appreciate your sharing your journey with us– you’re an inspiration! 🙂
Keep it up, Kath…you are doing amazing! The wind can be your best friend and your worst enemy 😉