Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Need for Speed

One often hears about endorphin-highs and people who are addicted to exercise. I definitely feel better - physically and mentally - after I've had my workout for the day, but I think it is my kids that are addicted. Let me explain. Our weekday routine generally consists of walking my eldest daughter to school, going on a jog of variable length with the stroller, and then heading home. The baby always falls asleep during this evolution, though the 3-year-old is just along for the ride. I've observed that on days when we skip this because I've run by myself on a Sat. or some similar interruption of our routine, everyone is just a little crankier than usual. The baby doesn't nap well and the 3-year-old is out of sorts.

So, now that we are revisiting cold weather, I'm finding that this dependence on the stroller has adjusted my tolerances. In an earlier blog about cold weather running, I think that I defined my minimum temperature for taking a baby in the stroller to be about 40 deg F. This year, with this baby, we are redrawing that line at 30 deg F. Poor baby #3...*

*Don't worry, this baby is well-protected by the cold with a snowsuit and blankets and wind/rain shield. She sleeps like, well, a baby :)

1 comment:

Crumbs said...

You've gotta do what you've gotta do!
And doesn't it make you proud that the kids need you to run rather than being addicted to a soap opera habit?
(by the way - my 3 1/2 year old told me one day that I needed to go for a run because I'm nicer after I run).