Down in San Diego on a little weekend get-away, I dropped Alan and the girls off at Legoland this morning. Isaac and I drove the 8 minutes back to the hotel for his morning nap. I used my time wisely and searched online for local running trails and breweries - there are a LOT of both in this area - to determine where we should run and refuel tonight. One short hour later my baby was up and ready to go. Back in the car we drove a few miles down the road to the Batiquitos Lagoon where we were not disappointed.
The scenery was gorgeous. Birds and small wildlife could be easily spotted by even a 10 month old (Isaac turned 10 months yesterday!!) whizzing by in a stroller.. as long as his hat wasn't covering his eyes. Perfectly content and babbling away, I peeked in the top of the BOB to see that Isaac's "Half-Full" hat had slipped down to the brim of his nose, completely obstructing his view. Did he cry? Goodness no! (Sorry moms, too many Pete the Cat books lately. I couldn't help myself). But seriously, little boy made no complaint. I took the hat off realizing that it was in fact only 70 degrees and not quite "freezing" as it felt after coming from 90+ degree temperatures back home in the valley.
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| Mama runner's-eye view. |
We ran a decently paced 2 miles along a gorgeous sandy/wood-chip studded dirt loop to find it abruptly just end. Not quite ready to turn around and call it a day after a mere 4 miles, I decided we would do an impromptu speed workout. Right there smack in the middle of the woodsy trail was the most perfect 300m oval begging to be trotted upon. We obeyed. Pushing Isaac as fast as my legs could carry me for five intervals around this dirt track discovered at Batiquitos lagoon, I felt a bit like I was participating in a roller derby. Wheels spinning, stroller leaning into the curves, heart pounding, we had a glorious 5x300m speed workout with no one in sight save one 80-something lady walking her little terrier. I was careful not to knock her over as we skidded by on the narrow track. : )
Feeling quite satisfied, I turned that stroller around and ran the 2 miles back to our car at a good pace -- not too fast, not too slow. No watch today, just running by feel. When nearly back to the car I saw a young girl and her dad running together. The girl could not have been more than 10 years old. Long thin limbs, slightly awkward, with braces perhaps, she smiled and ran along happily stride by stride with her father. He gave me a smile as to say, "Good job." I wish I would have said something in response. They were moving. Definitely not jogging, this girl was a runner. How cool, I thought, to be out here running with your child. Then the next thought that came in my head was, "I can't wait to run with my kids." I nearly said that to the dad, "I can't wait until I can run with my baby." I am glad that I did not, because I can wait.
How often do we say that phrase: "I can't wait." A lot. At least once a day for myself, I am sure. I couldn't wait to have kids, I couldn't wait for them to grow old enough and be strong enough to sit in the stroller during runs with me. I couldn't wait for them to start preschool, to be old enough to participate in activities like gymnastics and tennis and swimming. I couldn't wait until we could take them to theme-parks and carnivals, eat out at restaurants in peace, swim in hotel pools and splash around and laugh together. But now, I can. I can wait, because it all goes by too quickly. I can wait until they are old enough to run with me, because once they can do that they will be that much closer to running alone and life on their own. I can wait for them to sleep through the night, because then they will be that much closer to sleeping outside of my house. I can wait for them to go to start preschool or kindergarten because then they will be closer to the day they start college. I fear the day they are no longer mine, the day they don't come to me to mediate every dispute, the day they stop saying, "Mama, Cesia said she is older than me" or "Adara said that I am just 2," and other statements that too often seem ridiculous to me, yet so important to them.
Seeing that daughter and father run in tandem today with huge smiles across both their faces reminded me that life goes fast. Adara is already over 4 years old. She will be starting elementary school next year. In 9 years she will be a teenager, in 12 years she will be driving. Life flies by and as much as I savor every minute, I do far too often think, "I can't wait..." Every stage is unique and wonderful. Isaac will be a year before I know it. Today's run proposed a new challenge to me: to stop saying "I can't wait." Because really, I CAN wait and I want to wait. These days are just too precious and too much fun.
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