Plan B

It’s always good to have a back-up plan, when you wake up late and it’s pouring down rain and the morning is overscheduled and a nine-mile run just ain’t gonna happen.

Everything we do at home today has to happen before 10:30 a.m., when we have to leave the house to do everything else we’re doing today. I woke up at 7:30, and a nine-mile run takes two hours when you include driving time to get to the flat road and back. That leaves only an hour to shower and pack for a weekend trip. That may be enough for you, but it’s not enough for me.

Besides, cramming a week’s worth of running into four days is an invitation to injury. Ask my knees. I iced the left one Monday night; last night I switched the ice pack to the right one. A day off will be good.

I checked MapMyRun for likely routes near Worthington, Ohio, and found plenty from which to choose. So my Garmin and my running gear will get packed after all, and I’ll take a little time away from the triplets to sweat.

Their dad is the one who inspired me to run my first race. I’d been walking and jogging on my hilly road, with no purpose other than to control my weight. A month after my husband and I got married in Las Vegas, we had a family celebration at home. My husband’s son was training for a marathon and had a 20-miler on his schedule the morning of our party.

And he did it.

Just got up, got ready, headed out and came back to move furniture, help with setting up the party, mingle with our guests and put everything back where it was supposed to be afterward.

Obviously, I was pretty impressed. He was training for the Columbus Marathon; I registered for the Country Music Half-Marathon soon after.

Somehow I don’t think anyone will miss me if I take off for a couple of hours to run.

Have a great weekend. Back on Monday.