I’ve slowly come to accept that I am a runner. A label I never thought would apply to me. It certainly wasn’t an activity or sport I willing did as a child. Besides my younger brother was the “talented” track and field person in the family.
However one day Hubby Dearest came home with a bonafide work dog linage kelpie pup. As that pup grew it needed more and more activity. Our backyard wasn’t fenced so that growing pup needed to be exercised.
Let’s just say after a physical day Hubby Dear wasn’t taking the dog for kilometres on end walkies.
Biddy became my run buddy. Together we learnt how to run. For her it was all about running on a leash and sitting whenever we had to cross roads and to not run up to people. She’s a big kelpie and all red so for some it freaked them out when she ran full tilt up to them for pats.
For me it was a journey of realising I can run. I can run long distances. I can run distances and get better times each time.
I now run twice a week with a friend where we solve the problems of the world. I run for my mental health and my physical health. Especially my physical as I become an adult with asthma (something I never realised one could develop in adulthood!)
Unfortunately Biddy is no longer my running buddy. Her hips are going and she is completely deaf. I will run with the rest of our Kelpie pack but I look like a mad woman with 5 kelpies all over the place. Lucky we live out of town so my biggest issue is making sure they don’t chase the hares or the cows in the paddocks.
However, my why I run has never really changed. Evolved over the years, yes, but the reasons are the same. I am a runner and that has been a powerful realisation for me.
Grateful Wonder 