Sunday Mornings

I wake early on Sundays, tip toe down the stairs and change into my running gear. I eat breakfast in silence, crunching quietly as possible, trying to let the two children upstairs sleep.

Brush teeth, lace up sneakers and I’m out the door just as the morning sun starts to glow warm yellow on the world. Key in ignition and the car rolls out of the driveway – I have a date with myself.

As I near downtown, the car veers left into the road that rolls high over the harbour then dips below the bridge. I turn up the music. Sometimes it’s Fleetwood Mac, sometimes it’s Pearl Jam, sometimes it’s something in between. Roll down the windows and let the spring air rush into my lungs. I breathe deep.

Downtown is abandoned this early on a Sunday and the parking spaces are easy to find. I am an hour early for the run clinic I coach, just enough time for my own run.

The route takes me down a main road, loops around the hospital and then up, up, up the largest hill. I stop at the top when it’s sunny and look out beyond the town clock and over the sparkling harbour. Inhale. Peace – I’ve found it. Down the hill and loop back to the store for a quick stretch before my group arrives and the day’s machinery begins to grind.

Afterwards, I head home to my husband and daughters, they have also been running this morning. The dog and kids run to greet me at the car while my husband waits on the front step, coffee in hand. There are small voices squealing at me and the dog is barking and above their heads, we lock eyes and smile at each other.

Our life six years ago was very different than our life now. Little by little, as the years have passed, we have lost much of our free time. There are rarely lazy mornings or late nights. Children and careers and university classes and a nasty habit of training for very long runs have snatched them away.

I sit beside my husband in the sunshine. Two girls scramble to get between us, the dog settles and lays down on the grass. I sip his coffee and smile because, oh, it’s all so very worth it.