Relentless

Although Andrew and I woke up on Monday morning to freezing torrential rain and wind kicking the crap out of the windowpanes, we each had two totally different perspectives: I was whining about how many layers of clothes I'd have to pile on for my five-miler while he was smiling smugly with his hands folded behind his head knowing he'd be doing his workout inside with his Muay Thai trainer, Jesse. But then because I have been off of running for an eternity (it had been a long five days) I was able to muscle through my lack of motivation and remember that I craved the wind in my face enough to take it up the bum if need be--as long as I could get outside and run my little heart out.

It took just as much effort to stifle my giggle when Andrew phoned to let me know Jesse was sick and needed to postpone the workout and that he'd come running outside with me instead. See, Andrew doesn't like running on the best of days and then in wind and rain and freezing temps? That's love, folks. He came home, threw on some shorts and a long-sleeve tee and out we went.

It started out okay but once we turned onto the long stretch of road that runs parallel to the freeway it was nearly unbearable. I kept looking over at him and his cheeks were red from the wind whipping the hail in his face and there was rain dripping off his nose and chin. But I had a moment out there, like I almost always do. It's hard to not take it personally when we run against wind and freezing rain like that but that's what life dishes out sometimes, you know? Sometimes life just slaps the fuck out of our faces and it's everything we can do to not curl up into a ball and die. And yet... we run on.

That long stretch of road felt like it went forever but it eventually ended. We started it together, we went through it together, and we finished together.