Opening Remarks

Over the past three months or so, I've realized something about myself:

I think I'm becoming a runner.

It pains me to even say that out loud, because my mind does not believe it to be true. Runners are those lithe, muscular creatures I see lapping me on the track. They run fast and hard and often. They have fancy running gear (heart rate monitors, moisture wicking clothing, etc.) and are a breed of people I was not born into.

I've never liked running. Ever. I found it boring, difficult and painful. I have an old dance injury (tilted kneecaps) aggravated by a car accident a few years back, and for many moons I have believed wholeheartedly that I could not run. It put undue stress on my knees and, save for a surgery I'm not yet willing to have, I was going to have to live with a lifetime of knee pain. So I've always seen running as something I couldn't (shouldn't) do, and I wasn't much interested in it anyway.

Back in college I lost some weight by running at the gym, and I liked how efficient it was. My heart wasn't in it, however, and running fell by the wayside for many years. Last winter I decided to get back into a healthy lifestyle and wanted to give running another try. I was able to run/walk a 5K fairly easily on a treadmill, so I laced up my sneakers and confidently took off for a run around my block. 20 seconds later, gasping for air and shins burning, I realized that I had underestimated running. It has many forms and this particular one had thoroughly trounced me.

In an attempt to slay the beast, I started the Couch to 5K program in February to overcome my inability to run outdoors. I immediately began looking forward to my runs around the college campus where I work, even though it was very challenging for me. I started doing things like running at 7am in 28 degree weather to fit in my runs, or heading out after work in a drizzle and loving every minute. I planned on running a 5K that April and was excited to be working towards a goal.

Five or six months later...eh hem...*shifty eyes*

So I fell off the running bandwagon soon after my initial foray, but I never forgot how much I enjoyed it. In August I made another ambitious plan: I wanted to train for a sprint triathlon. If/when I actually complete one I will feel like a complete rock star. There are none scheduled in my area until the spring, so for now I've been casually training but mostly running. In that time I've run my first 5K and am on the cusp of formally graduating from Couch to 5K.

My journey is long, and more often than not it's a mental journey, as opposed to physical. I'm looking forward to talking about my workouts and sharing the effect this has had on my life. Stay tuned.