"I just don't get this running stuff"

My parents have been saying this to me for years. I've had to defend my sport against their many complaints. When we had problems getting pregnant, of course it was "because of all that running." Why was Nathan measuring small? "Because of all that running!" And, at least every other time we talk they say "you know you're not going to be able to walk when your old because of all that pounding." Despite providing them with scientific evidence, they still choose to believe that running is a vain and selfish pasttime. Because they don't understand "the obsession," I generally don't tell them about the races I run or the training I am doing. I guess at some point we all have to find our own internal motivation. For the most part, I am able to write it off as generational and personality differences, but this past weekend they crossed the line and really hurt my feelings.

I was so excited about my half-marathon results that I told my mother that I thought I might be able to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials if I trained hard enough. Upon hearing this, my mother went into a tizzy. She called my husband on Sunday and told him that she thought that I wasn't being a good mother to Nathan because "of all that running." She said that when she was a mother she put her children first and that I was "doing too much" and creating a stressful environment for Nathan. She also said that "because of all that running" I wasn't making enough milk and was starving Nathan. She thinks that Nathan is falling behind developmentally because he is not getting the nutrition he needs and that I need to stop being pig-headed and start feeding him formula. My wonderful husband, my advocate and partner, came to my defense and tried to assuage her concerns. He told her about the many bios of women who had qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials while working full-time and raising children. He told her that he supported my decision and that, yes, I was a multi-tasker who always heaps a lot on my plate. He said this was one of the many reasons that he loves me. He said that I was a wonderful mother and that I create a calm, loving home for Nathan.

But, her words have left their scar and I can't help but be hurt that she can't understand what an awesome experience it would be to train and attempt such a lofty goal and that she questions my devotion to Nathan. I really wonder what it would be like to have parents that understood me and respected my values. But, you can't pick your family...you can only pick your friends. Guess this is another opportunity for me to grow some scar tissue.