Cheerleader

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Given the extreme and ongoing drought here in Texas, there won't be any fireworks in the air. At least, not official fireworks. As such, we have to find our own ways to celebrate our freedom. This morning, my family chose to go for a run. And it was delightful.

As I prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon, my wife has begun her training for the corresponding 10K on the same morning. She's done some running here and there, but the real training program started today. We considered running a local 5K, but given the heat and our general inability to sleep in on most days, we figured we'd skip the $45 registration fee and just do a run around the lake.

We had meant to get up a little earlier to avoid the heat, but let's face it, it's a holiday. We slept in a bit. Still, when everyone had woken up, we got suited up, put the dog in the car, and headed down to the trail.

What was most surprising to me was just how many people were out there in the heat. There were times when we had to go single-file just to get past the mobs of runners and walkers, most of whom seemed to be in pretty high spirits. Once we managed to find parking, which involved a bit of creative driving on my part, we started the run near the off-leash area near auditorium shores.

Almost immediately, the heat was getting to me, which was nothing compared to running with a crazy dog. For the first quarter mile or so, I was worried that I was going to be battling with the whims of the pup for the entire run, but relatively quickly, she fell into step.

My main role today was to be a coach and cheerleader. And dog wrangler. But mostly those first two. It was an awful day for someone to do their first training run, so the best I could do for my wife was to let her know just how amazingly well she was doing. And she was. It's hard enough to run three miles, but doing it in high heat and humidity is darn near impossible. We ran the whole first mile without stopping, and then settled into a Jeff Galloway-style run/walk rhythm for the rest of the run, stopping for water as much as we needed.

It wasn't fast, but we got in our miles. Myself, my wife, and my dog all got in a nice little workout to pre-burn a few calories before the remainder of the day's festivities. We don't often get the chance to work out as a family, and if you ask me, it's a great way to start a holiday.

And I hope we get to do it again soon!

Monday's Run:
81 Degrees / HOT
3.1 Miles
39 Minutes, 23 Seconds