More thoughts on running

I was headed to bed and then I wanted to write these thoughts down before they were forgotten. 

To many people, especially my colleagues in the fitness community, completing a 5K might not seem like a big deal. My earliest memories of running/fitness were all bad - the dreaded 1 mile run around the hilly "terraces" in grades 4-5 where I'd always nearly be last, only faster than the fat kid; getting hit in the head during basketball and in the gut during dodgeball in grade 6-8. In grade 8 I raised the most money in the school for a 10K walk (which I completed) and when I got an award at the June assembly people were so surprised that I survived a 10K walk. There are people who know me from back in those days reading this - do you remember? I'll even mention when I was cast as a psychotic aerobics instructor in the grade 6 Christmas play and everyone laughed because, "Patty? The music geek? playing an exercise nut?!" Well, life imitates art. 

I started out small. I remember my first official workout in late summer 2000. I lasted all of 30 seconds on the stairmaster before getting very dizzy, breaking out in a cold sweat and having to lie down (what on earth prompted me to choose such a challenging machine to start on, I'll never know). Eventually I joined a gym and started trying all sorts of classes, and enjoying it so much that I became certified in group fitness and then personal training. 

In terms of running, I have improved so much in such a short time. Last May 2-4, Amanda and I tried to go for a jog but lasted maybe 5 minutes before slowing to a walk. In early July, I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up with the other trainers. I only made the decision to start running regularly about a month ago, and I have never failed to meet any health or fitness related goal that I set for myself in the past 7 years. 

So, for those of you who have spent your whole lives active, I applaud your healthy choices because I wish I hadn't waited 22 years to start myself. Today I celebrate how far I have come from the girl wheezing through the 1 mile run. To anyone thinking about changing your lifestyle in the near future - if I can do it, so can you! 

And that 10K walk I managed 15 years ago? I'm planning on running it next spring. 

Me, a runner

I finished the Burlington Santa Shuffle in 31:42. 
It was freezing, -7 C with wind. I'm the speck in black in the picture, taken with my husband's phone because my camera decided to run out of juice just as hubby tried to use it during the race. 

New goals: 

- improve 5K time to sub 30:00 
- work towards 10K in spring 2008