Cool Runner

If you follow me on Facebook at all, you may have noticed some teaser posts in the past few weeks: “Dee is working on a big surprise for Kim”, or “Dee is 2/3 of the way there”. Today, I let her in on her “surprise”. I ran with her. I know that doesn't sound like much of a surprise but she was thrilled.

Back on August 10, I decided that I would learn to run. I mean I know how to run, but I wanted to learn to run distances – chasing the kids to bed doesn't count! I have tried to run before, but my shins hurt to the point of tears, literally. So I chose to begin slowly – a lot of walking with small intervals of running and slowly build up to longer intervals of running with small walks. It was a “Couch to 5K” plan that I modified for me. I even ordered new, high-dollar running shoes to improve my chances of success AND keep me motivated!

Day One I ran a total of two minutes. Yes, two minutes. I walked five, ran one, walked five, and ran one. Hardly the beginning I was looking for, but the pain in my shins was unbearable. I went back to the drawing board. I turned to the only source of information available these days… I went to Google!

Google told me that my overdeveloped calf muscles were putting a strain on my tibialis anterior and that I needed to strengthen and stretch that muscle, small as it is and located directly behind my shin. From there I went to the Y to find an answer to “How?” The two women I sought showed me exercises and stretches. The solution seemed easy enough.

Slowly, I worked toward a goal of 30 minutes of non-stop running. Day-by-day, week-by-week, I got better. When I posted that I was 2/3 of the way to my goal, I had run 20 minutes straight. I know that doesn't seem like much, but for me it was a miracle. In just 5 weeks, I had gone from one minute and tears to twenty minutes and actually feeling good.

Last week, six weeks into my program, I ran 1.5, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 miles. It was time to confess. Yesterday at Target, I bought a pair of running shorts and joked that I was going to run with her today. Today, I changed and she asked if I was really going to run. Yep. I am. I suggested my two-mile route. She thought that my route was boring. She suggested an alternate route. She kept asking if I was OK. I kept asking if I was going to fast for her. I put up a good act. Kept asking how I looked in my new shorts? If we had gone 3 miles yet? If I was slowing her down? We ran 1.5 miles and SHE suggested we should walk. Why. I’m fine. “You can’t run 3 miles your first day out, you’ll never want to run again.” She replied. We walked for a half-mile while I explained what I had been doing. And she asked, “Then why are we walking?” I don’t know it was YOUR idea!

We finished with a total of 4 miles, only running about three. I still have not met my goal of running 30 minutes without walking, but the date to meet my goal is still a week away – I wanted to reach that milestone by the time I turn 40. But just to set the record straight… it was her idea to walk.

She was surprised by the way.

D