Gainzz

There is a rocking chair in our house that is a fundamental piece of furniture.
It has gently rocked three children to sleep, for countless hours.
It also reclines, which means it has tracked many hours of forgotten sleep, as well.
It was a wedding gift, from my parents, when we learned, just one day before jetting off to a tropical place to get married, that we would be parents 9 months later.
The big, comfy brown chair is where I grew a lot of love for my children.
Where, after a day that they have tested my patience to it's limits, I can rock them into a peaceful, dreamy state, and then stare at their beautiful, innocent faces.

As I snuggled my last baby into slumber tonight, I reflected on the fact that for the first time, I am able to cross my legs as we rocked together.
A very simple thing, for most, I'm sure, but I do not take these things for granted any more.

I have lost many pounds in the past year, but I have gained too many things to even begin to count.

Not taking for granted the fact that my legs can cross, and stay crossed, comfortably, is one of them.

Being a confident Mom, is another.

Someone has a camera, and would like to take our picture?  Sure!  Go ahead!  I'm not even worried about how I'll look, because I know I'll look just fine, and won't be looking for the imperfections and shortcomings of my body.

Walking up stairs and not being winded.

Choosing whatever I want out of my closet, and knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it's going to fit, and not emphasize something I'm ashamed of.

Having my children come to gym classes with me, and be inspired, encouraged to be fit.
Priceless gain.

When you lose weight, there is no recipe, or instruction that says, you will feel x once you lose y amount of weight.

It's impossible to know exactly how you'll feel.
It's even more daunting, when you've never actually been at y weight.

I'm training for my third marathon (crazy?!  Right?!), and I'm a bit behind on my training.  I've mapped out the weeks until the race, and I won't get my two 32km runs in, but I'll get one in.

I ain't even worried about it.

I'm so confident in my body's ability, that I know I'm going to PR this race.

With the least amount of training I've ever done, but with the most fit body I've ever lived in, I'm going to make this race my bee-otch.

In all the poundage lost, I never dreamed of what I would gain.

Running Momma's

Today had loads of good moments.

Of course there were plenty of OHGODIHATEMYLIFEWHYCANTSOMEONETAKETHESEWRETCHEDCHILDRENAWAY moments too, but many more than that, were the mmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmmm moments.

I wanted to bottle up one of those times.

D'you ever want to be able to just stay in one particular minute for a lifetime?

The minute where my 5 year old is quietly, and ever so patiently painting a dinosaur after she'd cleaned her room and also the toys up in the living room, my three year old is twirling around, spilling sparkles off her Cinderella dress while listening to Shut Up & Dance With Me, and the boy is giving me smiley, humming, goobery smooches through the gate.

I'll write about it, in the hopes that one day, I can look back and reminisce about these simple times.

I was thinking, though, about how quickly we can go from, "Yay!  You peed/pooped/sat on the potty!", to "Seriously?!?!  Does anyone flush the toilet in this joint?!?!"

The milestones are fleeting, and yet sometimes I feel like they'll never be able to dress themselves, or clean up their plates, or brush their own teeth and hair.
The biggest kid is only just baaaaaaaaaaarely fitting into my lap anymore, and so the proof is there, that they won't always be small and cuddly and want to hold my hand.

But alas, in those lovely, fleeting reminders of their sweet, dependent littleness, I'm almost simultaneously snapped back into reality because someone is crying and/or screaming and there's also likely a diaper to change and watermelon to wipe up off the floor.

*sigh*

And then it's 8:06 and we have to hustle, (man, I say that word a LOT) get out the door to get the big kid on the bus so I can pack up the youngsters and get a run in.
Snacks, check.  Water, check.  Appropriate shoes for the requisite park stop, check.

Annnnnnnnnnd, quick check of the chariot tires so the 80lbs I'm pushing doesn't feel like 480lbs.
By 8:30, I'm in my happy place, with the kids along for the ride.
One of those good moments I was talking about?  Yea, it happened right there.  Sharing my passion with my kids.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmmmm.

And as we started running, she said, "Mom, I go to a' gym wif you tomowoah?", and I couldn't be upset with her for the screeching she'd done first thing that morning.
That girl has my whole heart for my whole life, even though she's got pure caverns of hellfire for a personality.

On my run, I happened upon some of my oldest Mom friends.  I've known these gals since our biggest kids were only weeks old, so that's more than 5 years!  We've seen each other go through many more additions of children and other life struggles and we still want to hang out.
It's seriously amazing, because really, there's got to be 50 kids between the 9 or 10 of us, and if you multiply that by minutes in the day, it's a miracle anyone's got the time!

These ladies have started running.
It makes my eyes well up to think about it, because these Mommas are taking their health and fitness into their own hands.
They all have small children, and some have tiny babies too.
But they're meeting, and running and learning what their legs can do.
And I am so very, very proud of them.

I received a message from one of these smokin' hot girls, where she said that she'd seen me running and was inspired.
Yes.
Just, Yes.
All sorts of, YES!

If you see me running, and it makes you want to run, then, girl, get out there!
You CAN do it!
It's so very cliche, but if I can do it, you can too.
I come from a lineage of sumo wrestlers.
Not distance runners.
You can do this!  Seriously!
It's not going to be easy, or feel particularly good at first, but you will always feel fantastic afterwards.  Always.

She went on to say that the first run almost killed her, but that she was going to go again the next night.

That, my friends, is perseverance.
And it applies to your whole life.
Keep.  At.  It.

Whatever it is you're doing that you think is hard?
Well, it's probably going to feel harder before it gets easier.

But then, suddenly, it just is easier.
You're stronger.
You're faster.
And one day, you're a runner.
Still a Mom.
But now, also, an athlete.

Good for you, girls.
You are inspiring loads of others.
Myself included.

And if I ever see you out there, I will be  honking my horn and cheering you on as loud as I can!
Welcome to the club!