A Different Life

Zero.  That's how much exercise I did on Monday.  Usually I will run 2-4 miles the day after a marathon and then 4-6 by Tuesday.  So Monday I lived a sedentary lifestyle.  Knowing that sedentary lifestyles increase risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and overall crankiness, I knew Tuesday would mean getting the legs back on the road. 

My husband, Jeff, and I headed out for 4-6 miles in a local neighborhood.  After warning him that my quads still felt trashed from Sunday's run, we began our run at a moderate pace.  "You know this will be close to 10 -12 minutes a mile," I informed Jeff.  It turns out we hit our first mile at 9:21.  The second mile split was 9:17. 

Mile 3- well, I actually never hit it.  The molecular structure of concrete absorbed into my quadriceps during the second mile and after my legs literally buckling under me, I eased into a walk.  I sent Jeff on his way and I continued to walk to the finish, about 1.75 miles.  He got his 5 miles and I strolled through a beautiful neighborhood. 

This short time of walking gave me time to reflect upon my life and where I would be without running.  I present to you now the top 10 ways my life would be different if I wasn't a runner (as composed by me during my 30 minutes walk):

1. I would have a garden.  I had one once upon a time.  Raised beds, slug repellant, nets, flowers, etc.  We finally leveled out that area this past year after having it sit dormant and overflowing with weeds since 2001.
2. I would have a food-related business.  Believe it or not, I did have a business license to sell baked goods at the local farmers market.  The Gingerbread House.  Really.
3. I would have attempted to show either food or a hand-sewn item at the local fair.  Once upon a time, I used my sewing machine and actually have made dresses for my girls.  They were toddlers at the time.  
4. I'd be a best selling author.  Well, maybe.  I love writing and have started many projects over the years but you know, running takes a lot of time!
5. My closet would be organized.  And my cupboards, and...a lot of other things.  And I would have liners and dividers and whatever else organized people use to make their homes look nice and function at top speed.
6. I would have one pair of "workout" shoes. 
7. My house would have a lot more space without a treadmill, weights, running shoes, and my drawers would have room for regular clothing.
8. I would be fat.  Probably.  I don't want to know.
9. I would feel like something was missing but not sure what it is.
10. I would have scrapbooks filled with creative displays of my family's adventures instead of digital pictures stored away on our computers.

So there you have it.  This is the short list.  How would your life be different if you weren't a runner?

I made this before I discovered running.