Just Add Coffee

It was a tough night. NOT like those nights when BoBo was an infant, and I was working long 12 hour night shifts in the pediatric ICU – to come home to my sleep deprived husband – who was just waiting for me to arrive so that he could head off to work – and I had no sitter. No. Not that kind of tired.

I was exceptionally beat from the activities from Saturday. It wasn’t much more than my usual weekend stuff. Besides my run, Tom, YaYa and I went for another “family bike ride.” These are done at a pretty leisurely pace, but perhaps the extra time in the sun took it out of me.

I was drained by the time I laid down with YaYa at about 9:30 pm…or so. A bit later in the night, I woke up and went to my own empty bed. Tom and BoBo were out at the movies watching Invincible.

I guess it was around 1:30 am when I heard Tom’s voice from downstairs. He was reading some of his writing. A piece that I was familiar with. Perhaps it was the piece about his Dad, or the story about YaYa seeing the Easter play. Which writing piece is not important. What is important is that he was reading it OUTLOUD.

Well, at least I knew that he and BoBo had gotten home safely. I got up and closed the door. I went back to sleep. At least I think that I went back to sleep. I can’t be sure. Ever since I had kids, I’ve gotten to where I sleep so lightly that I hear every noise both in and out of our house. Through the wee hours of the morning, I was awoken several more times. By the time YaYa showed up at the side of my bed, I gave up any hope of getting rested up for today’s run. Perhaps today will be the day that I get left behind, I thought. Perhaps I should bring my iPod just in case.

After JC’s French Toast and a cup of black coffee, I grabbed my fully loaded fuel-belt (with 1 package of GU and some water, and Ultima) and was on my way out the door. By the time I arrived at the park, Cindy and Mark had already met Curt. We were on our way at 7 am.

It didn’t feel like I was going fast but I kept slowing up for the rest of the gang in the first mile. My mind was a little askew from my sleep deprivation. I finally settled into a long run pace.

We hit the hill and Mark and I took the lead. Actually, Mark took the lead but I was on his heels and out of breath. We hit our rest and stretch spot in record time.

The run continued up and over the shorter hills and into the more fun part of the trails. I am not sure why it is more fun in this section – there’s a short wooden fence around the curve that takes you onto the narrower trail that winds through and up the hills. It’s shaded and borders the canyon below. Lovely, just lovely running. We went out for 10 minutes and turned back.

On the way back, Curt and I were up ahead. I was on a mission to make it back to the rest and stretch spot ahead of Mark and Cindy so that I could slip into the bushes for a minute or two. As I did that, Curt continued down the hill.

I minute later, I hear Mark and Cindy go by and head down the hill. I finished up my business and was soon back on course too. I chased them for a while before I caught them. We ran back while enjoying the conversation about this and that. I felt sort of bad that Curt had missed out on the more relaxing pace, but I guessed that he was enjoying his run in a different way and having the run of his life.

It turns out, I was right. He was all smiles when we saw him back at the parking lot. He and Cindy went out for 2 additional miles as Mark and I drove away for our Sunday family commitments. For me, this included coffee…more coffee!