I hate to run. I hate every step. I hate that it is boring. I hate having to control my breathing. I hate what it does to my body.
Except when it makes my body smaller.
Before I continue my story, let me preface that I did this to myself. There is no one to blame for this but myself.
My wonderful college friend and sorority sister whom I will refer to as "The Petite Pundit" is a runner. She received that blessing genetically from her father. I come from a long line of non-runners. I don't even come from a long-line of swimmers. Swimming started in my father's generation with only him and his brother. I actually come from a long line of couch-dwellers: one one side those who sit and drink, and on the other side those who sit around and sing, draw, act, eat, but certainly not run. I have never been able to like running. My dumpy, slow-twitch body does not respond.
I have tried over the years to run. I have even been successful at it, but as with everything. Life gets in the way. And then I have to start over.
I have been starting over. This summer I have gotten on the treadmill several times and I can now run a mile on 4.3 without stopping. In fact today I ran 1.5 miles on 4.3 with out stopping. Yay me!
So I did bring up The Petite Pundit for a reason. In August, she was considering a half-marathon in November. I thought that was a great idea. She did a successful 10K in the spring. And you know how gung-ho I have become about getting out there and doing things. In a completely idiotic brain fart, these words came out of my mouth. (Ok, not my mouth, this was on facebook) "If you do the half, I'll do the 5K." Running a 5K is one of those bucket list things. Something that I feel I should be able to do, but really won't. Like learning Mandarin. Or how to knit.
But I'm in. The first weekend in November. 10 weeks from this week.
Hey now... I am going to torture myself with you!!! Have you already signed up?
ReplyDeleteNot yet. I am going to wait until my next paycheck. I signed up for the Pier-2-Pier swim (and my rent) with this last one.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad you're in! I wasn't sure you would have that weekend free. Yay!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it, Tammy! I used to hate running, too. I started running again, for real, in January. And hated it with the fiery hatred of shinsplints and side stitches and patello-femoral blahdeblah. But now I love it. Like, loooooooooove it. It took a several months (and some orthotics) before it felt good. Now I'm training for my first marathon!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I have decided that there is a triathlon in my future. A big one, in Hawaii, the year I turn 30. Which means I have to learn how to swim, because I'm not sure I ever made it past "minnow" status at Horseshoe Lake. Seriously. Have any advice, swim guru? (Want to join me in Hawaii?)