I was runnin'

"Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!"

Quick, name the movie this quote comes from! Ok, it's Forrest Gump, one of my all-time favorite movies. And, you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I've been runnin'. When I do tell people that, they are like, why? Are you training for something?

The answer is no, I'm not training for anything. The truth is, I hate running, and hate is a strong word. I've never been good at running and could never really run for long periods of time. So, I decided about a month ago that I was going to make myself learn to run and maybe even learn to enjoy it. I believe it's the simplest, most effective exercise. All you need are some good shoes and you're set.

My plan was simple, start walking and throw in some running. The first week I alternated walking for 3 minutes and then running for 1 minute. The second week I walked 2 minutes and ran for 90 seconds. The third week I was walking 90 seconds and then running 90 seconds. And, to be honest, 90 seconds felt like a long time. For 90 seconds everything would hurt and I would just about talk myself out of the whole thing. Then, I started walking/running at the track, I would run one lap and then walk one lap. I would do that for somewhere between 2 and 3 miles.

All of that has led up to tonight. It was kind of late and getting dark so I knew I wouldn't have much time. I just stepped out of the house and started running just to see how long I could possibly stand to go. I made it around the block one time (at a pace just faster than a walk) and decided I'd just keep going. By the time I had had enough I had ran for 12 minutes and 28 seconds. It seems silly but I feel like that's quite an accomplishment. I was halfway through the block so I decided to just walk for awhile but my legs wouldn't let me, they wanted to keep running! It was the strangest feeling! When it was all said and done I had ran for about 19 minutes. Crazy! And, the best part is, I can't wait for my next running day (although I'm sure by then I'll be singing a different song).

Another bonus from my little run tonight:


A great reminder that the "dark" is always preceded and followed by awe-inspiring beauty.