What I Learned in 31 Minutes

Random Musings from the Loops for Troops 5k

–  I hate running.  I like winning at stuff.  They balance each other out, as long as I think I’m winning.  And my definition of winning is pretty broad.  5k for your average runner is a warm up.  I have no intention of ever running more.  I’ll just get as good as I can at this.

–  At 4.5k I’m completely exhausted.  I am trying to focus on the finish line and it’s all I can do to stay upright.  Then my dh says to his dad “this is a great pace, I could run at this pace forever” and I want to punch him but I’m scared I’ll fall over from the effort.

– My daughter hid from the Stampede Horse mascot but ran to the guy in combats standing next to the tank with the big gun.  That can’t be a good sign.



– Can a spouse have survivor’s guilt? Sometimes seeing the family of a fallen soldier makes me feel more than a little guilty.  It’s hard to wrap my head around why mine came home and their husband/son/brother did not. I thought that feeling might fade in time, but it hasen’t.  It won’t make me stop wanting to meet and spend time with them, especially amazing friends we have met like Linda, but it’s always there. That’s hard for me to admit because it seems selfish and more than a little neurotic.

– My dh’s newest tattoo has more meaning on days like this.

– I am pretty cocky when trying to talk through panting. I think I may have told my dh’s commanding officer that he needed a promotion and a posting somewhere warm….  I probably shouldn’t let people have a conversation with me when I can barely breathe.

– Guilty Secret – My favorite song to run to is “Paralyzer” by Finger 11.  Don’t judge me.

– It takes a special man to be my husband.  After spending his week waking up at 3:30 a.m. to run 5 a.m. PT with the recruits on the course he’s teaching,  he deserved to spend Father’s Day sleeping in with breakfast in bed.  Instead, he got a 6 a.m. wake-up and a 9 a.m. run.  With no complaint cause he’s cool like that. 

–   My children are far too comfortable with armoured vehicles.  I even looked over when the race started to see my oldest had nonchalantly grabbed the handles and hoisted himself up on the Coyote so he could see us. 

– My kids can con their way onto anything.  And they always find the guys without kids that they can puppy-dog eye into doing anything they want.

–I have awesome family.  I don’t see my cousins nearly enough, but all the ones living nearby showed up and took part in some way.  I defy anyone to have a family as cool as mine.

– Speaking of cool family, my almost-sister-in-law raced in a Triathlon the day before and STILL ran the 5k with us.  She’s a frickin’ machine!  And my crazy skinny ginger cousin, he ran the 5k in 24 minutes! 

My “little” brother and his supastar girlfriend

– I beat my brother fair and square.

– My friends are amazing! The number of texts and facebook posts to encourage me on the morning of the run was awesome.  You guys rock!

– If you smile a little and swallow between each breath, you can avoid throwing up.


– I might not like to run, but I love that I can.  And that’s good enough to get me to do it.

– Next year, I have singled out some people that I plan on beating.   Fisher, that means you.  


– I don’t know if it’s that just being better at running has made me more tolerant, but my dh’s ‘encouragement’ was actually…. encouraging this year.  Which is a big deal because usually after we work out together I feel like personally calling everyone he’s ever run PT with before and apologising that they had to endure that.

– For those of you who missed getting to see the ‘crippled walrus’ run that I do so well, here it is for your amusement.

And there’s my poor dh who every year has to accept that the posted times will put him in a sad place because he runs next to me.

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