The First "Mrs" Run

In the past couple of months I’ve quit my amazing job, gotten married, moved to a new city, and started a new job. Now, I’m not saying the word ‘excuses’ but I might think it loudly to myself! But despite the lack of running in my routine, I happened to be a very lucky bride! Between a decreased appetite from stress, weight-lifting twice a week with one of my awesome bridesmaids, and walking an energetic dog, I was a bride that somehow lost weight before the wedding without really going to any effort. Every time I put on my work pants I found I had magically shrunk a little bit more. I say this easily from behind my computer screen where no one can claw my eyes out from jealousy.

But then the honeymoon came, and the loneliness of moving to a city where I knew nobody, and my new husband was working crazy hours, and I didn’t have any workout buddies and…well, let’s just say I may never again be at the size I was on my wedding day. And I’m okay with that! But that doesn’t mean I want to lose all the valuable gains I’ve made the past few months. So, a tightening of pants combined with a rather stiff and painful back made me decide it was time to reinitiate my running.

How I miss running with buddies! But running groups in Fort Mac seem hard to come by, so I decided to start with the easiest running buddy I had available: Brizzy.

We started in one of those ‘unofficial’ off-leash parks near the house. I went out there with no watch, no set plan. Actually, I wasn’t planning to run at all when I stepped outside. But I found myself in my running clothes and just thought, why not? I decided on sprint intervals. I picked a bush in the distance and rant to it, then walked to recover. After a minute or so I picked another bush and ran to that one. My goal was not to achieve a disciplined training session. My goal was just to run. Run for the cost-effectiveness of not buying new pants, and run for the health benefits of mobilizing my back. Brizzy, of course, ran right with me joyfully. Okay, he trotted beside me wondering why his poor human was lurching around so slowly, but he seemed proud that I was joining him in one of his favourite activities, even if I wasn’t chasing a ball.