I am not a runner. Don’t like it, never have. Unless you count fifth grade during which I ran an actual 5-mile race, or that one time, Sophmore year in college, that I was so angry at some guy, I actually ran. Probably a whole half mile before I slumped back to my dorm room, defeated and physically drained, and wrote a ranty essay for my English Class. It was called “Why I Hate Men or The Time Liz Ran.”

(Yes I know. How very 19 year-old of me.)

In case you’re wondering, the essay got an A. My running got an F.

Last week, Cool Mom Pick ran a post for mothers who run in the new Cool Mom Fit series, which is obviously inspired by my partner Kristen, and not me. The comments on the post answer the question, “why do you run or why do you want to?” and I read each one with a combination of awe, guilt, a little resentment, and quite a bit of enlightenment.

Besides the obvious answers about health, I was struck by the following:

To deal with the everyday chaos. It’s time to myself.

I exercise so that my daughters know it’s okay to make your health a priority.

To spend a bit of time completely alone

Running provides me with energy, motivation to be a better person.

I run for me! Running gives me balance and provides a very necessary outlet for stress reduction.

…because it makes my spirit stronger.

To preserve that little bit of sanity my family has left me.

That’s just…wow. Amazing to me, if obvious to some of you.

And then I realized through the wisdom of these women, that ugh, here is something at which I am failing miserably once again. Continue reading →