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First Run

Last week I signed up for the Iron Girl 5K run in Clearwater. My friend, Sundi, mentioned it on her blog, and I completely fell in love with the name. Sundi's fitness journey has been an inspiration to me, and somehow it just seemed fitting to get my feet wet with this race.

The Iron Girl is also a convenient location for my former workout buddy, Jen, to meet up with me. Jen started running back in October, and she will be running Gasparilla next month. We're going to do Iron Girl together in April, and I think this will become at least an annual event. Running a race together, that is.

At Jen's recommendation, I'm following Jeff Galloway's training schedule. This means I had my first long run today. I laced up my new Nike Pegasus shoes, slapped on a sports bra, and headed out. Today's goal was 1 mile, running for 30 seconds and then walking for 60 seconds.

I knew I was out of shape. I just didn't know I was THIS out of shape. I mean, I used to run on the treadmill at the gym and work out on my elliptical machine at home. This was a little different.

The first lap was fine. However, by the time I started lap two, I thought I had suddenly developed asthma. I couldn't breathe. It scared me so much that I had to stop and gasp for breath. It hurt to breathe, but I heard Bob Harper's voice in my head (Give me 30 #$#% seconds!) and figured that if a 400 pound person could do it, so could I. Lap three was fine, and I headed inside for a well-deserved flop on the couch under the fan.

Other than a massive pounding behind my left eye and a subsequent blood sugar crash, I'm pleased with my workout. Actually, I'm completely amazed that I actually set a goal for today and completed it.

Folks, I'm a runner, and I'm so excited. I've always felt that running was my sport. I have always been drawn to the solitude of running and even ran an 8 minute mile when I was 13. Had my parents been more willing to let me participate in extracurricular activities, I so would have been a cross-country runner in school.

I think I'm hooked.

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Christy said…
Haha! Slapped on a sports bra!
I know I'm not a runner. No matter what shape I've been in, I've never been able to handle running. Good for you!
And that whole parents and extra-curriculars thing? I think that's why I'm so willing to do so much with my kids. I'd hate for them to be grown-ups and feel they'd missed out on something they really love.
5:13 PM
frabjouspoet said…
Running is actually ones of those things that I buried. I am so not athletic, but I could handle running because it's completely at my own pace. It also allows my mind to wander, which I desperately need.

Oh, and the sports bra? Oooo, I cannot even think about the pain involved if I didn't do that!
1:20 PM
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