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Briana Murnion preparing to complete her daily mile run out in the winter snow and cold.

It is  the end of January in Montana and I am running. It has recently snowed another 6 inches and I am running. It is 10 degrees and I am running. Why am I running? If you saw me you would probably ask the same question. I am by no means fast. At 5’5” (okay 5’ 4” AND ¾) I am not built like a distance runner. Nothing is chasing me. I am not really enjoying myself. I am barely 3 blocks from my house and I am asking myself again ,“Why am I running?” As my belly jiggles under my four layers of clothing the answer is never far away.

After three pregnancies and about a decade of yo-yo dieting I know myself. I can not set a weight loss goal and succeed… on the long term anyway. I delivered my 2nd set of twins about 7 months ago and it is once again time to shed that extra poundage I put on last year. So this time around I decided to try a different kind of challenge. A fitness challenge. I decided to start training for a 5K race. BUT my ultimate goal is to beat my 53 year old father in a 5K. Well it was my goal… and I told the world about how I was going to beat my dad! Then I found out he had beaten all the kids on an area track team last July in a 5K and he runs it in a little over 20 minutes. Okay so it might take me a couple years to reach this goal. Although as the years go by he is just getting further away from his “prime” and I am just coming into mine… mark my words old man, when you are 80 will beat you in a 5K!

Now I am about ¼ of the way through my mile running goal for the day. My lungs are already burning and I think I might just hyperventilate in the thin winter air. I was running 2.25 miles consistently late in 2009 but then I got a pretty serious case of runners knee that put me out for over a month. I am really trying to ease into my training this time because I do not want to re-injure the knee. I keep telling myself “Don’t think about running. Concentrate on something else. Man I really need to remember to charge my I pod.” Of course the more I tell myself these things the more I focus on the pain in my thighs, the lack of air in my lungs and then I catch myself actually counting my steps.

Briana and Dad both winning first place in the 5K run in Jordan, MT.

I did run a 5K Thanksgiving weekend ‘09. It was a spur of the moment thing. I had only been training for about 2 weeks but when the challenge came up I just could not let it pass. I told myself I would only run a mile of it and walk the rest. I really should know myself better than that by now. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore, walked about a mile of the 3.1 and then ran the rest of the race. My Dad ran that race in 23 minutes, I ran it in 33… Okay so I have to improve by 10 minutes. Well now maybe you understand how I hurt my knee, my body just was not ready for that race. This time I am really trying to do it right.

A little over half way through. I can see my goal, Heberle Ford, come into sight. This spurs me on and I run a little faster but only for a minute and I realize I have to slow down or I will never make it. Then I start thinking about the OTHER challenge I have put on myself. So I know I said I am not good at reaching a weight loss goal . Did I tell you I am not good at turning down a challenge? My neighbor called one day and said a group of local gals had decided to get together and all put $25 in a pot and weigh in the 2ndMonday in January. Whoever loses the most weight by April 1st will win all the money. I just could NOT pass that one by! My husband has lovingly taken to calling us the “Desperate Housewives of Rosebud County.” Thinking about this makes me run a little faster once again.

Only about ¼ of the mile left. I dodge several patches of ice andwince as I remember the fall just last week that bruised my pride just a little more than it bruised my butt. Once again I am asking myself “Why the heck are you out here?” Although it is freezing I loosen my scarf around my neck because I am starting to sweat under my t-shirt, long john top, long sleeved shirt and sweatshirt. Not to mention my wool socks, underarmor, scarf, gloves and heavy sweat pants. By the time spring comes I will be able to shave a minute off my time just by shedding all these clothes. The thought of how I must look as I run all bundled up almost makes me laugh out loud. Well I would if I had the air enough to actually make a laugh.

Then I meet another person just as crazy as myself out running on this late January evening. If it is possible he is dressed even funnier than I am. Underarmor pants under some very short running shorts, a bright hunter orange sweatshirt, the hood cinched up so tight all I can see is the tip of his nose and I think I can almost see his eyes… this really makes me want to laugh out loud.

And then, I am done. I have reached the stop sign at Heberle’s which is exactly a mile from my house. According to the trip on my car anyway, when I so very professionally measured my route on the way to the post office one day. I like to think that running it is actually a little longer than a mile. My phone clock tells me it took me 10 minutes to run … oh yes it is definitely longer than a mile.

I slow to a walk and then I get that feeling, the feeling that reminds me why I was really out here in the 1st place. I don’t know if it is dopamine or endorphins or just the sense of accomplishment from having reached my goal for the day, but it is an amazing feeling. After talking with many other runners I am convinced that at 90% of people who say they “love running” actually love how they feel when they are done running. I have to believe the vast majority of them hate the run as much as I do.

I slow to a walk and start to enjoy the Montana winter that I so despised only minutes ago. The sun is setting over Forsyth and the snow is glistening , an absolutely beautiful sight. Suddenly the distance back to my house seems way to short. Back at home there are 7 screaming, beautiful, but loud little girls with their daddy. Who all need fed, or changed, or pottied, or played with. Homework to be checked and dinner to be made. Clothes to be folded a toilet to scrub. I come to the realization that this will be the only time that I am alone today. This thought makes the decision very easy for me, I am taking the long way home, 4 more miles of peace, quiet and winter beauty. I can not wait to go for my run tomorrow, if only I could remember to charge my I pod.

Briana authors stories from Forsyth, MT and brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience and excitement to our MTTH team.  Welcome Briana!