Run, Forrest, run!

Me, fiddling with the camera right after I got home.

When I was a kid I had exercise induced asthma so I couldn't run. I read stories about Teddy Roosevelt who had the same thing. The lore is he just forced himself to run and run until he overcame it. (more likely he just outgrew it.) I wished I could be brave like Teddy. I imagined him tearing through the some future National Park, like a vintage, patriotic scene from Forrest Gump and felt like shit that I couldn't do the same.

I was a tom boy but it was hard to not be able to play forward on soccer. I was sad that I couldn't do the annual race around the school block. Well, except for one year. That was with the help of a now banned for use in children and humans oddly enough called, "Theodore Sprinkles."

I grew out of the asthma in adolescence but instead of using my able lungs for running, I did a ton of aerobics and biking in my teens which conditioned me to do an easy 8 min mile in gym one day, allowing me and my biking/aerobics buddy to sit around while everyone else was huffing and puffing for the next 10 minutes. But nevertheless, I never got into running.

I've been very curious about it, especially living in town full of runners. I look out the window or walk down the street and see all those crazy people in shorts and t-shirts in 50 degree weather in the rain, or worse yet, in the burning hot sun or the icy treacherous landscape of winter. Why would *anyone* want to do that? Aren't they hot? Aren't they cold? Aren't they TIRED?

I have been debating when to mention this in case I fail, but I decided I want to run. I am on the couch to 5k plan and am on week 2. I've learned already that in addition to the conditioning which cannot be forced, one does need to learn to *force* one's self to not be afraid. First I was afraid of what I would look like but I got over that right off. Then Monday I was afraid I was too tired and that it was too cold and wet that day, so I didn't go. But today that changed. I ran for the first time in the cold October rain. It was a bit windy, in the 50s and definitely raining.

What I learned today is that if you are concentrating on the running, (and sometimes the, "when can I stop and take a break?") you don't really notice. And more importantly, running, in any temperature, makes you really warm. :) Well, duh. I had all these jackets on that I didn't need about 30 seconds in.

By the end I had soaked hair, wet, foggy glasses, and I was running in the dark. It didn't phase me at all, and was actually kind of fun. So I don't know if I should be proud that I endured such suffering or proud that I am now in on the secret- it doesn't suck nearly as much as it looks.

Bought the outfit half price at Sears.
The shoes from Nick, the New Balance Guy.
"Here's my card, please contact me for ANY reason."