So, when you ask your friends to go hang out you usually have a fun-filled plan of activities in mind.  It typically might be a 4-hour event.  That seems like a reasonable amount of time to have lunch and go shopping or to enjoy dinner and movie.  That time frame would even work for a pedicure and cocktails or an evening of dancing at the club.

Well, I spent 4 hours hanging out with a good friend this morning.  No, we didn’t have breakfast and mimosas and share our gossip.  And no, we didn’t even take up a short one hour spin class and enjoy some coffee afterwards.  What did we do instead?  We ran for 4 hours.  That’s right, it was all running… 4 long hours of running.  The funny thing was that we even ran right past a movie theater and I happened to mention the fact that we were running instead of sitting through 2 movies (including the previews).

Usually when friends get together they chat about the current events in their lives, their husbands, their dogs, their kids… whatever comes to mind.  There might be a complaint here or there about something that has recently gone awry.  If one friend has a problem, the other friend will usually provide moral support and possibly offer some solutions.  Afterall, that’s what friends are for.

So, my 4 hour excursion with my friend started off pleasant.  We did have that conversation about recent happenings and the “what are your plans for the holidays” discussion.  Then it turned toward a whole different direction.  It pretty much got quiet.  It wasn’t the awkward silence either.  It was the “I am in a little bit of pain and I am trying to stay focused” silence.  Then it wasn’t quiet anymore.  The complaints started coming and these weren’t complaints about friends, husbands, kids or pets (well, maybe we did throw one in there about the friend who suggested a bridge at mile 18 or the other friend who talked us into this race we are training for).  No, these complaints were about the pain in our legs, back, knees and feet.  They were complaints about the hot sun beaming down on us.  They were complaints about every little curb and hill.  Let’s not forget to mention the bridge.  That was a very long stretch of complaints.

Yet, we did have that drink afterwards.  We managed to hobble to our cars and grab some cash before heading into the nearby grocery store.  We poured ourselves a hefty cup of sugary soda from the fountain and walked very slowly to the cash register.  I felt like I was going to scream at the person in front of me in line because she was taking way to long to purchase her cards and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand there.  We hobbled back to our cars as people stared at us like we were crazy.  They also made sure to keep their distance.  You know how most girls get all clean, dressed up and wear the nice smelling perfume to go out with their friends?  Well, I guess we were the opposite of that.

And guess what?  After all of that torture we are still friends.