When two loves collide.

I love running. I love being a mom. Sometimes, however, the two seem especially at odds. Today was one of those days. Since it's summer and the kids are home with me, I get three choices for running. One, I go to the gym, run on the treadmill (which I don't love) and pay $6 for my kids to sit in a little room and play their video games. Two, I drag my kids to the dirt track and possibly get them to run or walk a little in-between sitting on a bench and playing their video games. Three, I get up at 5am and get my run done before the hubby leaves for work. Since I didn't crawl out of bed until 7:30am, that last option was out today. So, with the enthusiasm and optimism born out of my last great experience with my oldest son at the dirt track and the fact that summer has JUST started and we haven't had time to get fed-up with each other yet, I packed up a blanket, snacks, drinks, video games and got ready to head to the dirt track.

At 9am, we were still trying to get out the door. One didn't want the breakfast I'd made, the other couldn't find shoes. One couldn't find the particular video game he wanted, the other couldn't manage to get his socks on. As I watched the lovely overcast coolness melt out of the sky and turn to warm sunshine, I grew more and more irritable. Finally, we were in the car, only for me to realize I had forgotten my OWN water bottle.

When we arrived at the track, I parked the kids on a bench with food, drinks and games. I took a deep breath and tried to regain some of the enthusiasm I'd had at 7:30, then started out on lap one. It started at lap two. "Mom, it's hot." Sit in the shade! Lap three. "Mom, I don't want to play this game anymore." Then don't! Lap four. "Mom, I want to walk a lap with you, can you stop running?" Oh, honey....(sigh) sure! Lap five. "Mom, can we gooooo now?? It's hot! I'm thirsty!" Drink your drink! "I drank it already!"

I managed to get in 16 laps. Sort of. I think I walked a couple because one of them wanted to walk but not run. I had to turn around and go get someone a couple of times because they couldn't keep up and started whining. I had to provide first aid to a skinned knee when one fell off the bench. I had to break up a fight.

I LOVE being a mom. I LOVE running. I am so blessed that I can do both, but sometimes it's hard when these two loves of mine cross paths. How do the rest of you running moms do it? There's a long summer ahead. I know some days will be good, some will be difficult. I'm optimistically hoping last week's run wasn't an anomaly, that being a mom and being a runner CAN coexist peacefully. Wish me luck!