Life’s Newest Challenge: Running

Loyal LAA followers, Penny updates are going to happen every other week from now on, she’s starting to hit her stride without too much of a notable update and I figured it’s always efficient to make the best use of space – even if it’s invisible internet space.

I’ve lived the past seven years attempting to not be a gym rat. But the fact is, most days of the week, I’m busting myself for 40-60 minutes on an elliptical machine. I am a gym rat.

Then I was introduced to running. I’m rather dismal at it. For one, your brain has to somewhat jive with the rest of what you are physically doing and for someone who’s thinking one hundred words per minute on a slow day, yeah…you get me. So 19 minutes and some-odd seconds per mile and one hour later, I completed my first 2.97 mile journey.

Dizzying, loss of limb coordination and the ability to inhale (no really, you feel like a kindergartner not knowing how appendages work.) I was kinda in love with the idea that I couldn’t tackle something too easily. It was similar to when I started this whole gym thing…just now my mental game has to get up to par.

Then I went and attended my first half marathon this past weekend. Holy hell. These amazing people are running miles (and miles) up and down bridges and every which where to reach the finish line. Just observing their skills makes one inspired to literally see where your own feet can take you.

So now, I find myself ready to run for real-real (that sounds ghetto. sorry I’m not sorry.)  Shoes? Check. Socks? Got em. Clothes? Totally not, let’s streak, it’s cuter. (not really, clothes were worn!) It’s been easier to do on my lonesome, I don’t feel like the complete uncoordinated fool I started out as.

But still, it’s HARD. How is it I’ve danced really well, and really hard for four years, and now, something like “Left foot right foot” has me completely steamed. It’s sorta like dieting, when you want to do it, then pizza and cake appear from every shelf. Now, just getting out of my head and into the road has been quite the barrier. I deserve a flipping award for getting around the corner without trying to solve all the world’s problems before I hit my own mailbox.

I will keep going. I’m going tonight in fact. Shoes are by the door. I will run. I will keep at it. I will win.