Running In Circles

My husband has gotten it into his head that come what may he will be finishing the C25K program with me. Now, I really appreciate the support and all – and I certainly am not opposed to seeing my darling man become a fitter version of himself – but he HATES running.

He loathes jogging around that track.

He despises it.

He would probably rather cover the more delicate parts of his anatomy with honey and then venture too close to a gathering of fire ants than keep on doing the program.

Yet, he insists on continuing.

I do not understand it and, quite frankly, I don’t really feel like he has offered any reasonable explanation for why he even wants to continue. Apart from a raging desire to complete the program for the sake of completing it, he hasn’t offered any real insight into why he is so determined to finish what he started.

I get why I am doing it. I can even easily comprehend why he began it with me. But every single time we go to the track to do our approximately half hour long session I can sense the tension in him before we start. It is easy to note his displeasure while he is in the middle of the jogging and equally simple to see the hatred for the activity practically radiating off of him once we are done. Truly, it is that bad!

Why does he keep at it?!

I love my husband deeply and, in the spirit of the amazing communication that we share, have already had several conversations with him about this. It isn’t actually affecting my time at the track at all – otherwise I might have a genuine reason to beg him to stop – but I can see how much he dislikes it and so I keep offering him solutions. I’ve suggested that he slow his pace to match mine, just walk while I jog, quit altogether, and so on. He won’t hear of it.

Normally, I can figure out the reasons behind pretty much every one of the man’s behaviours; I am generally very in tune with his thoughts and I just get why he does the things he does. But I can’t seem to make sense of this. He asked me last night, “Do you have to understand it?”

Good question.

Maybe there is a lesson here. Perhaps I should spend a little less time questioning his journey and put a bit more effort into supporting the one person who has been there for me through every single step of my own. This is an opportunity to show the man I love more than anything that I can accept him and his decisions in the same unconditional way that he does me and mine. I have a chance to tell my husband how amazing I think he is by not speaking a word.

He will keep running. I guarantee it. His determination will keep him going and his example will encourage me to do the same, just as my own energy will renew me and him when the need arises. He and I may travel through this life together in a variety of fashions – walking, jogging, running, sprinting, hopping, skipping, crawling, strolling, and dancing – but we will forever do so side by side and hand in hand.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water
- 1 burger on a thin bun with light cheese, spinach, onion, mushroom, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and relish
- 1 bite of a homemade cranberry cinnamon granola bar
- 1 homemade chocolate and peanut butter granola bar
- 3 cups spinach salad with croutons, dried cranberries, orange pepper, mushroom, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 pear
- 1 sandwich on whole wheat bread with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 1/2 golden delicious apple with cinnamon

EXERCISE:
- 35 minute step workout video
- 30 minutes of the C25K program (Day 2 of Week 4)