The re-earning of trust...

Oh, where to start...

I could so easily start about how I had an awesome morning hill resistance workout, but that is shallow and does not even grace what actually happened today.

No, instead I must rewind to over two years ago when I had, after months of pleading, convinced my lovely wife to try a run/walk workout with me around the 1 mile track near where I work. Everything was set for an awesome experience...everything except for my overbearing personality. You see, I pushed her to run too hard on the run segments. Way too hard. She was sore for a week afterward and vowed "never again..." anytime I would get that twinkle in my eye when talking about running and express to her that I so desired to be able to share the beauty that I have seen on the trails.To share the passion, the laughter, the solitude and deep friendship with nature.

The truth is I miss her on every run I do without her and that instance above was the only time I had ever run with her...

After Manly came along Amber began to see herself differently and would comment about certain aspects of her that had changed. She had been walking with a neighbor a mile a day while i was away, but it was not enough as she visioned herself not the petite beautiful woman that she is, but in a gloomier light. As the comments would flow I would assure her that she is still the object of all my affections, but the comments kept coming. Knowing that a kick of endorphins could quickly change these opinions I had to quiet my selfish desire to beg for her to run with me. Instead, I told her that only she could change what she felt was wrong with her and that maybe we should walk together a few times a week and make it a lunch date.

Thus began our lunch dates of Monday, Wednesday and Friday walks followed by a delicious and healthy meal for her afterward. I love these days. I look forward to them and get flustered when my schedule conflicts with them. Over the weeks we have talked about all sorts of things and spent time together...time....just us (sort of, Manly is still so young that he requires little attention once we get him in the stroller). I cannot tell you how many times I have apologized for the torture I had introduced her to two years ago and how I yearned for a chance to earn her trust back.

She proudly called me a while back and had told me that she had run from the neighbors house to our house (about 100 meters) with the stroller after their walk. I cannot express how proud I was of her and made sure she knew it. The very next time she went walking with the neighbor she ran up a hill, with the stroller and monster baby, that gives me trouble running up...then called to tell me about it again. "Oh man you are awesome baby!!!"

Queue today. We had agreed that today we would try a 5 minute warm up, 20 minutes with a 30 second jog (at HER pace) and 90 second walk, and 5 minute cool down. Everything was perfect. She was able to talk to me as we were doing our jog cycles, I was smiling like a child waking up on Christmas morning. Gleaning. Ear-to-ear grin. I was totally giddy, so proud of her. I couldn't stop telling her how awesome she was doing and how proud of her I was. Man, how awesome, how awesome, I am SO thankful for days like today.

I got time with the woman of my dreams, time that was well spent, time that will give a little extra in our later years...more time...for us.