The Husband of a Runner

If you've read the updated version of the blog's "About K & M" page, you will know two facts - 

a) I am a runner.

b) Kevin is not. Despite my greatest wishes. 

For as long as we've been a couple (going on nine years!), one of my biggest hopes is that Kevin would become my running partner. Typically, about once a year, I catch him on a good day and he agrees to run with me. This run normally ends after about 10 minutes - me soaring with glee, and him being frustrated that he's not in the same fitness bracket as I am. Understandable. 

I never give up asking (mostly because he's told me it doesn't hurt to ask, just don't nag). Every month or two, I say, "Will you come on a run with me today?" And he inevitably responds with, "No." If there is even the slightest hesitation on his part, I latch on with the most unreasonable amount of excitement only to be let down shortly thereafter, when he admits he was never considering it to begin with. 

Last fall he endeavored to start down the path of overall health and fitness. On his own volition we bought him a pair of minimalist New Balance shoes and my parents gifted him some UnderArmour pants for Christmas. He was faithful for a month, getting up before dawn two or three mornings a week and heading out for a mile or two all on his own. (You see, we finally figured out that he needed to work through this without my coaching or exaggerated thrill.) But then the weather changed and the runner* came to a screeching halt. 

*him not me. I have run all winter thankyouverymuch. 

And now it's time for the new session of our church's Run for God program to begin. (You may remember my stories from last year - Fairy Running and the Strawberry Race.) I talked with Kevin about the possibility of becoming the ambassador/coach/recruiter of teenagers for this program, hoping to grow the number of students involved. He jumped on board to my complete and utter amazement, saying that is the only way he'd want to participate--as a co-leader for the teens. He would be the newbie ("If I can do this you can do this") leader and I would be the veteran. 

I hadn't broached the subject with him after this initial interaction. You see, this subject is a fragile one, a tight rope walk, waiting for my own wrong move to push him off the oh-so-narrow bandwagon.

But then this happened: 

I'm going to leave my excitement unstated. You'll just have to imagine how I'm feeling about my husband running. 

The program starts this Sunday! Wish us luck!! 

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