February 17, 2020

Nearly every Sunday morning for nearly 30 years, my husband and I set out for our Sunday Run. After an hour or so with coffee and a variety of newspapers, in front of a fire in cold months or on the screened porch in warmer months, we dress for our run. It is a ritual even our dog, Sully, recognizes. When the first of us, usually Dave, moves to get ready to run, the panting, whimpering and sneezing begins. Sully’s, not mine. You see, Sully joins us on our Sunday runs. We are lucky to live in a rural area, near a road less travelled where Sully can run untethered.

We run on other days of the week, but Sunday is the only run we really count on to do together. We run for one stated purpose: to stay in relatively good shape. Few things can get in the way of our weekly date. Childbirth, a broken bone and bad weather have interfered. But after 1,000 (give or take) Sundays, I think our Sunday runs accomplish far more than just our stated goal.

It is a little like our therapy. It is hard to finish a run in a bad mood. Endorphins are really good at pushing out the negative thoughts and letting good ones in. While we are never racing, our Sunday runs are self-affirming. It feels really good to put down three or four miles no matter what the pace. Although, I am a little jealous that Dave can still set sites on getting a little faster when he wants to. He can go faster, but I can go further. I have a few half-marathon medals in my closet that he doesn’t. I have never been in them to win them but finishing a half marathon is uniquely satisfying.

The aforementioned broken bone kept me off the road for much longer than it took for the bone to heal. I am a long way from being back to top form, but I am back to feeling the benefits of those endorphins. I wonder if I’ll be able to do another half. Sometimes, it seems possible but that isn’t the goal of my running right now. I run as much for my head as I do for my body.

The fact is, running can be boring but I rarely listen to music or podcasts when I run. The silence forces me to think. At the start of each run I try to get a little something in my head to think through. Sometimes I tease out answers to questions about work or think of writing topics and form outlines as I run. I believe my most productive writing comes from my Sunday Runs. I also think about vacation plans, my kids, chores that need tackling and my kids some more.

After we finish our Sunday runs and Dave and I have more to talk about with each other. It seems both of us have thought through something, had an idea or made a plan. As empty nesters, I think this is maybe the most important but unstated purpose of our Sunday run. I think it helps us keep our marriage, like our bodies, in relatively good shape. Here’s to 1,000 more (give or take) Sunday runs.