Best of Both Worlds

In seventh-grade, I decided to be an English teacher when I grew up because I thought there would be nothing better than spending my days reading and writing.  Never in those thoughts did I think about having summers off with Liam.  However, almost thirty years later, I get to earn a living doing something I love and enjoy two months off with Liam.  I often explain that I have the best of both worlds.

I feel the same way about running.  I have a supportive fun group of people to join on runs but also get the pleasure of going out solo.  Once a week, I am able to run the Boulevard before picking Liam up at school.

I love both of these runs for different reasons. When I am with friends, the time flies by! We pick up right where we left off, talking and laughing.  I wondered how we were able to connect quickly.  A line from Big Little Lies sums up what I am trying to put into words:

“It was interesting how you could say things when you were walking that you                    might not otherwise have said with the pressure of eye contact across a table.”

I love when a group run can push you to go a little faster than you normally would.  I also love when you can pass the time chatting and forget that you are engaging in a challenging physical activity.

My solo runs also hold a special place in my heart.  I can zone out and focus on the world around me.  I can listen to my embarrassingly pop-filled “Run Run Run” playlist on Spotify.  My pace is mine alone.  Even though I can go as far as I’d like, my distance tends to be two miles around the neighborhood and exactly 3.1 miles when on the Boulevard.  I can focus on my breathing and my form.  (My form is causing underpronation. I’m learning about it and trying to correct it myself.) When I started running the Boulevard solo, I noticed a lot of things that had gone previously unnoticed while chatting.

When I first began running on my own, I thought the time would drag.  While it doesn’t go by as quickly as it does when I am with a friend, I love having the time with my mind to challenge myself to get better at something that previously seemed impossible.