I pulled into the parking lot of a coffee shop to see my friend Kuay.  I’d met her at the local gym a few years back, when she invited me to join a group of swimmers she was coaching.  Afterwards, I hit the weights, saw her pedaling away on the stationary bike, learned that she was training for her next triathlon.

Now, as Kuay and I sat down at an outside table, I asked about the knee brace.  It provided much-appreciated support, she explained, following her run that morning, adding that her knee replacement surgery was scheduled in two weeks’ time.  She’d done her research and thought through the options.  Whether she’d be able to keep running was an open question.  Over the years, running had been a major part of her life, and she thought she would miss it.  Although she didn’t always enjoy it.

“I like getting to the end,” she explained.  But not every step along the way.  Especially the long training runs.

“Then why did you do so much?” I asked.

She thought about the question for a moment.  Acknowledged some of it might have been ego-driven, because she liked how she felt when she raced well.  But then observed that ego can be a valuable source of motivation.  Because she also raced for her daughters.  “When they started playing sports in school, I wanted to set an example.”

“So, you’re a warrior mom,” I said. Continue reading “Warrior Moms” →