Golf, Guilt and Good Excuses

A few days ago, I asked David if he wanted to do this 9K run/walk for Breast Cancer with me on Saturday. He said he would, "if he didn't have a tee time". So when he got a call Friday night inviting him to golf the next morning---and was tempted to go---I reminded him that I asked first. I explained that I'm seriously starting to feel like a golfer's widow here and that it's not really fair that all the time I spend with him has to be after he's finished 18 holes. I wasn't really being unreasonable--he had just come home from golfing when we were having this conversation! (Now it's Sunday morning and guess where David is... waiting to get on at hole 1 probably)

So, guilt got the best of David, and he decided he'd join me at the run. Actually, he said he would drive me there and pick me up at the end (it ended at a different base and they would bus people back). It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. While we were milling around the parking lot before the run began, David decided he would run too! He told me to run ahead though because he doesn't really like running with me if I pressure him to go faster ;) I play little games with myself, like "just run fast until you pass the girl with the orange shorts" and if I try including David in the games, he says, "I don't care about the girl with the orange shorts!"

Wow, I did NOT realize how hot it still would be for running outside (I've been doing most of my runs on the treadmill). The run started at 7 and I was finished by 8, but it was HOT. Too hot. So hot I could barely stand it. Normally, I would not allow myself to walk, but I'm a very smart person... I found my loophole in my 'no walking allowed' theory. What if I'm walking just to be kind to others? As in, what if I walk just long enough for David to catch up with me so I can run the rest of the way with him? (at a slower pace too, might I add) So, that's what I did. I walked and talked with a couple of teachers from K.E.S. and when David passed by, I wrapped up my conversation and went to catch him. We ran together for a little while, but right towards the end when I like to speed up, David was slowing down, so I left... but running together even for a little while was a good excuse for me to slow down!

I finished the 5.5 miles in 57something. Not fast, but not too bad, I guess, when it includes a 10 minute walk. And, most importantly, I contributed $10 for Breast Cancer.