Six Weeks

I've picked my first "big" race for 2010. It will be the Big Lake Half Marathon on May 8th in Alton, NH (conveniently just up the road). To prepare I'll run as many 5K's before than as I can manage--hopefully one per weekend if I can fit it into our family's schedule. My first race for 2010 is March 6th in Concord, a four mile benefit run for Habitat for Humanity. March 6th is only six weeks and five days away. It doesn't seem like very long, but then Sophie is only six weeks old and it seems like she has been with us forever. It hard sometimes to imagine what life was like before her. She changed everything.

This weekend my husband and I went on our first date since she was born. We've done dinner and a movie before, but this time it felt different. In some ways it felt like we were dating again, like a "real date", not just something to do on a Saturday night.

Typical Saturday night...

I'm bored what do you want to do?

I don't know what do you want to do?

We could see a movie?

OK.

Then after the movie…

I'm hungry. Are you?

Yeah, sure. But I don't feel like cooking.

Why don't we grab something while were out.

OK.

Now that we have Sophie, we have to deliberately plan and prepare for a date. It's a whole new process one that has brought back the novelty of "the date" for us. Going out is special again, with the added anticipation that we get to come home to our little girl.

Having a child has affected every action, every emotion of life to an extent that I didn't expect. You can make time for a date or a run--go out and do what you used to do before you had a child, but it won't ever be the same.

When I run my first race of 2010, I won't just be thinking about my pace or my time, I'll be thinking about Sophie, waiting for me at the end. Crossing the finish line will be a whole new experience, one I am really looking forward to.