Run #2

Colds are behind us.  We made it through a very crazy weekend and Monday.  So yesterday was time quit stalling and get out for a run.

Victor was excited (as always) to go outside.  I felt substantially more dubious.

Overcast, mild, humid.  Not really my favorite running weather, but not bad enough to turn around and go back inside.

We rounded the first corner, and the fun was pretty much over for me.  Started raining.

Large construction vehicles were working on the sidewalk one block later.  (Made Victor very happy.)  I barely curbed the desire to turn around and go home and decided to cut left into the residential area and run in the street.  Less steering.

Turning the next corner, the rain grew heavier.

Our jogging stroller cover shields approximately 6 inches of the seat below. For reasons unfathomable to me, the cover is banked upward, and it has no latch to hold it in place, so it catches the wind if you're moving even remotely (which I was, barely), it folds back up.

So, by the time we turned the third corner and actually headed into the wind, the cover would fold outward for about 10 seconds, until I hit a bump or a gust of wind, and then it collapsed, and Victor would get further rained on.  I guess it was motherly strength that enabled me to hold the cover out, push the stroller with the other hand, and run a little faster to try to get him back to dry land.

5 blocks to go.
4 blocks to go.
3 blocks to go.
2 1/2 blocks to go.
2 1/4 blocks to go.
2 1/8 blocks to go.
2 blocks to go.
1 7/8 blocks to go.
1 5/6 blocks to go.
1 3/4 blocks to go.
1 2/3 blocks to go.
1 1/2 blocks to go.
1 1/3 blocks to go.
1 1/4 blocks to go.
1 1/6 blocks to go.
1 1/8 blocks to go.
(I'll spare you the pain of continuing, but I assure you, the pain continued.)

Finally, the last corner.  I gave up on holding the cover out and focused on the task at hand.

Keep moving.
Do not let go of the stroller.
Go up big hill.
Do not get hit by cars.

I'll be candid.  By mid-way up the hill, I was perhaps moderately hallucinating about a kindly car seeing my obvious distress, pulling over, and offering to give us a ride home. 

You start a run knowing that if it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger.
You end wishing, hoping, pleading that you could die.

But, we didn't.

Got home, and I walked back and forth in front of our house for quite some time, until I was fairly confident I would not pass out or drop my child when I went inside.

All in all, a good day's run.

[Note: Some of you may assume I am somewhat exaggerating for the sake of dramatic effect.  I thank you for your charitable judgment.]