Fair warning: In this blog, one of the topics upon which I'll be prattling frequently will be running. Running around is something almost all of us did as kids. We'd run around, ride our bikes, and collect frogs. It's a shame that only two of those three are still socially acceptable in adulthood, isn't it? But somewhere along the way, I stopped doing all three.
My original reasoning for returning to running as an adult is a common one -- weight control and fitness. (Surprisingly, years spent in front of a computer keyboard don't result in washboard abs. Who knew?) On Thanksgiving weekend 2004, I jumped into a touch football game. After a few minutes of "getting burned" repeatedly on pass coverage, I was seated on a curb with my head down, with the wind knocked out of me -- except I hadn't actually run into anything. That was the low point, when I realized exactly how far out of shape I was.
By early 2005, my mind had reached the "tipping point" where I was determined to never again feel the way I did while on that curb. I had already started eating better, but I hadn't really started on the exercise part of the equation yet. I am an Astros fan, and each year the team hosts a 5K run/walk event at Minute Maid Park. If I recall correctly I saw an ad for the 5K online, and I suddenly found a concrete goal.
For several weeks in the winter and spring, I put in a lot of walking, and eventually got to the point where I was mixing in short (minute-long at best) jogs. When Memorial Day weekend 2005 arrived, so did the Astros Race for the Pennant 5K. I remember coming to the end of that distance, and entering the stadium with the finish clock reading 46 minutes and change. Looking back today, I can laugh at how utterly exhausted I was after just "shuffling briskly" for 3 miles. And thus a new page in my life began.Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I see a frog outside....
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