Run For Your Life (and Enjoy It)

I started running in March.  I haven't been medically able to run for a long time.  You can read about my progress here and here.  When I first started "running" I was really "walking."  Not jogging, not running, walking. And I dreaded it.  Every morning I got up to "run" (walk) and I had to force myself to do it.  It was not fun.  It did not make me feel good.  I usually barfed and almost always it seems I had an audience for my humiliation.  It sucked.  I hated it.

I've now been running almost 7 months, and I've recently started to really enjoy it.  I even ran my first ever 5k a few weeks ago.

That's me before the race.  I was excited, but also a little bit nervous.  My only goals were to finish and not to come in dead last.  I met both goals.

This is me finishing my first 5k:

It's not a pretty picture, but I'm proud of it.  It was 52 degrees and RAINING the entire time.  It was a cold rain, and an icy breeze blew the rain into my face (and onto my glasses) for the whole 47 minutes it took me to finish.  I was not the fastest person there.  I was slow.  But I finished.  And I did not come in dead last--11 people finished after me, 23 people did not finish in the allotted time and therefore were not counted, and 3 girls in my age division did not finish in time to be counted either.  I was happy with that result.  It was freezing.  The weather was not great.  I've never had so much fun in my life!

Since completing that 5k, I've really come into my own as a runner. I'm still not fast.  I still have bad days.  But instead of dreading every single step, I now look forward to each step.  Each step is progress.  I love my morning runs now.  I love them so much that I want to share them with you.

Here are few pictures from today's run (from about 8:30 to 9:30 AM, approximately 4 miles):

Before my run--I'm happy to be going.

Downtown is painted pink!  Business are going pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I love it!

I am fortunate to have beautiful, historic homes to look at on my morning runs.  This one is one of my favorites.  The architecture is so unique.  

One of the many Victorians along our tree lined streets.

This is the historic court house. 

I love my running route.  I usually see and speak to several other runners.  I always see a few dogs, and most of the time I take my dog with me.  He's a great running partner.  In the spring the entire city is alive with vegetation and sweet smelling flowers.  I'm looking forward to watching the trees paint our streets in brilliant reds and golds this autumn. I'm lucky.  This is a great place to run.

This is me at the end of my run.  I'm sweaty and gross, but I'm happy. In your face congestive heart failure! I run for my life.  You should run for your's too.  Find a place that you enjoy going.  I love looking at historic buildings.  On the days that I struggle, knowing that a beautiful structure is right around the corner helps me stay motivated to finish.  On days like today, when the weather is brisk and perfect for a run, when the sun is shining and the sidewalks are clear except for a few other early morning joggers, loving where I run makes a great day better.  Happy running!