Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Day 319...tHiS iS hOw iT bEgaN...

"So you're a jogger, huh?" "I don't jog, Mr Booker. I run." "Well, that's lucky for you. Grizzlies around here mostly go for joggers." -Tom Booker to Annie in "The Horse Whisperer"

THIS is how it began...It was about 8 years ago. I was in the process of trying to lose the rest of the "baby weight" from my second child. I was tired of walking on my treadmill...day after day after day. My husband came home with a book. I have no clue where it is now, but I believe the cover looked just like this one in the picture. He bought it off a sale rack at Barnes and Noble for me. I wasn't particularly interested in running, but I flipped through the pages and read a few pages. Days later...I was reading it...cover to cover. And so it began...I decided that I would become a runner...and I did. It was a slow process in the beginning, but within year...I ran my first 5K...the "Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure" on my 30th birthday. I was hooked.

I LOVE to run. I LOVE that it is always a challenge. I LOVE the feeling of control over my body. When my legs or lungs want to stop...I can choose to continue...to run faster even. I live for the runs where I feel like I could go forever. Those make the hard, crappy, slow runs worthwhile.

This morning I decided that I would run...but not through my neighborhood...I ran down highway 360. I do that from time to time. It freaks my neighbors out when they see me, but I do that run because it challenges me EVERY time. Today was no exception. It was so humid...I was POURING sweat. My butt and legs are sore from yesterday's workout...and I didn't get enough sleep. It was a hard run. I wanted to stop...but I didn't...I wouldn't. It was a run that I knew would not break any records...one that I just wanted to finish...and I did.

When I got home, I was wringing wet from head to toe...tired...thirsty. I needed to hurry and get ready so I could go up to the gym and train people. In spite of all that...I LOVED running this morning. I loved the pain...the wind on my face when 18 wheelers drove past...my feet pushing off the ground...muscles firing...sweat dripping. So, I'm glad that my husband bought that book for me...all those years ago. I'm glad I read it and tried...that I endured when it was hard...because now I reap the rewards every time I decide to run...even when it's hard.

RUN 5 MILES

2 comments:

JAWS said...

i know where it is!!! i have it! it still has all its little post-it notes in it that you put there for me... maybe one day ill give it back!

MC said...

See!!! That's how you know that I like you. I handed over my "special" book to you. I forgot about that. That's when I was "training" you on running and I constantly gave you books to read. Ha! I don't need it back. I already got everything I needed from it. =D

-M