run, walk, stroll

I actually got up and ran this morning. Ran one whole mile. And I'm no athlete, nor am I a natural born runner. I'm the kind of person that takes all season to train to run 5k, then my husband will join me randomly one morning and whoop my butt when it comes down to it; not fair, I know. It happens because he used to run cross-country during his high school years.

I used to run when I wasn't playing soccer -- to stay in shape -- but I'd feign illness often to get out of running down the hallways (this was for indoor track season, when it was too cold or snowy to run outside and our coach would make us run up and down the school hallways, lined with ugly 70s striped carpeting; that alone would make you vomit!). Now that I'm an adult and can choose when to run and vomit, I will choose carefully.

So I ran this morning. I got up just before 7 a.m., wiggled into tight black spandex running pants (ugly, yes, but warm and necessary for these kind of morning runs), borrowed my husband's neck warmer, and laced up my New Balance sneakers not to walk around the house all day but to RUN!

I haven't run for at least a year. I think I ran once after Grace was born (she's 19 months old now) but gave up shortly after the jogging stroller's tire lost air and I lost interest. Let's face it; who really wants to run outside, when not a gym requirement? And when it's cold and windy, it's even harder to want to be healthy and exercise...

But there is a good reason to walk. It's called the Winter Walk for the Homeless, which is an annual walk to benefit Joseph's House & Shelter -- a non-profit dedicated to serving the homeless in Troy. This year's walk will be this Saturday morning, and I plan to be there. What gets me out of bed early to do this every year is not only the pancake breakfast, another fundraiser for this excellent non-profit, but the thought that I have shelter, food and support. Some people even in this wealthy country do not have such basic needs met, so I will participate in this fundraiser again to bring awareness and needed monies to sustain Joseph's House & Shelter, thereby helping the homeless in my city.

The following day is Sunday, December 3. Do you know what day that is? It's Troy's annual Victorian Stroll in which banks, music halls, restaurants, cafes, and other retail outlets open their doors, decorate their windows, serve cider and punch, hold sales, and host sales and entertainers to ring in the festive spirit of the holidays. Come stroll along from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and enjoy Troy!