I just got back from an EXQUISITE run by the lakefront. Early on, when I was out there running in -19 degree weather, freezing my face off, huffing and puffing and aching and toiling, my dad told me to remember exactly how that feels, so when the weather gets better and the runs get great, I can really appreciate how great it feels. I remember laughing at him– great? Running feels great? I mean, I know people who seem to like it, but I always figured they were just wired differently from me. For me, running had always been hard, painful, and humbling.

Well, that’s starting to change. I went out from my house and ran along the lakeshore. It was cool and quite windy outside. I ran slow, slow, slowly, and even though the time went by slowly and I glanced at my watch from time to time, I did NOT feel the urge to walk or stop. I felt perfectly content to just trot along, listen to “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” on my iPod, breathe in the nice fresh air and take in the twilight view of the downtown skyline. After walking for 5 minutes and running for 15, I looped around and ran back towards my house. There is something immensely satisfying for me about running towards home. I want to get there, it draws me in. Unlike on the treadmill, I can’t hit “stop” two minutes early and be done– I have to get home, and the faster I run the sooner I’ll get there.

I reached the bus stop near my house right at the 32 minute mark (see, I ran two minutes extra, that’s how much I was enjoying myself!!) and then walked the last few blocks to cool down. I put together a pot of split pea soup before I went out, and left it to simmer on low. The whole house smells wonderful. I’m sweaty and my muscles are twitching and I feel really invigorated. I hope I can run my race next weekend with the same sense of delight and wonder that I felt out there today. Two workouts to go before I officially graduate from the Couch to 5k program.

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