New Goals...

I have several friends that really enjoy running. Well, maybe they don't all enjoy it, but they do it because it is good for them. It started with the two Rachel's. I'm pretty sure that one talked the other into it and boom.... more than one running friend. The next thing I know everyone around me seems to be talking about running 2 miles or 5 miles, and yes, one of my more innocent looking but CRAZY friends was training for a half marathon last fall. I held out for at least a good year before starting to think that running sounded fun. Mind you, I hadn't actually done any running. NONE AT ALL... EVER!! But, the way they were going on about it, it had to be fun... Right?

Last fall I decided to buy some running shoes. I don't have the greatest knees and have already had surgery on one of them several years ago and didn't want to take a chance at causing any more damage. Running shoes are not cheap, but if you go to a running shoe store the salespeople actually watch you walk, hop, move, stand, etc. to find the right shoes for your feet. I LOVE my running shoes!!

I ran a total of 2 times with one of the Rachel's late last fall, but it is hard to start when your lungs are burning from the cold air. I assume it is easier to start early in the year and build up to running in frigid temperatures rather than just going out and being all crazy like I was. I could be wrong, that's just my common sense talking. So, I didn't continue running and put it off until this Spring.

Spring has been really busy for me with school coming to a close, all the assignments, projects, observations, presentations, EXAMS!! So I hadn't actually started running as early as I had wanted. But, my sweet friend (the one who has talked us all into believing that running is fun -- may be rethinking that friendship) and I have finally nailed down 2 days per week that we can go running together. Yesterday was our first run... I made her promise not to kill me...

We warmed up with a half mile walk, increasing in speed until we were walking at a good clip and then, ran 1-10 1/2 minute mile. We then walked for 5 minutes and ran another 10 1/2 minute mile and finished with a half mile walk to cool down and then did some good stretching.

Now I'm not gonna lie, it was hard. I was doing really good the first mile, but the second mile was TOUGH. I am glad that I am stubborn sometimes because I was NOT about to walk when I could see the distance marker ahead of me. In fact, I ran faster, just because I could. But then, I felt like I was gonna DIE!! Good news is I'm still here!!

And silly me can't do anything without setting goals (Ummm... Thank you Chalene Johnson...) So, Rachel, Bless her, (I may have had a smidgen of sarcasm in that statement) told me about a 5K on May 14th which just happens to be the last day of my Physics class, what better way to celebrate, using that term loosely. So, my first goal is to be able to run a full 3.1 miles by then, only 3 weeks away and by the end of summer my goal is to be able to go out for a full 5 mile run at a 10 minute mile pace. If I don't make the 5K in May I won't be devastated, I will do one in June, but it would be fun to run that with Rachel (Did I just say that?), I just don't have a lot of training time so I don't know how realistic that goal is.

That's what I'm up to now. Crazy, I know! I never thought I would be able to run let alone consider a 5K... I owe that to Chalene too... She kicks my butt every morning at 5:30am and has gotten me into the BEST shape of my life!!