Hmmm, running?

I thought I'd take a break from posting about potty training. :-) Thanks to all for your wise and kind words. We are making great progress with #1, so I have faith that eventually we will also accomplish #2 (though Sam is still holding out, for now). Wow, after 5 years of diapers (I know that's not much) I am seeing the end in sight! I will not go back to diapers I will not go back to diapers I will not go back to diapers...

But I digress. The topic for today is running. For some inexplicable reason, as my 41st birthday approached, I began to wonder if I could run again. I used to "run" in college and for several years afterward. Really it was very slow jogging. So slow, in fact, that one day as I puffed uphill past a man pushing his little boy in a stroller, I heard the boy ask, "Daddy, why is that girl running so slow?" I had to laugh. 'Cause I just can't run any faster!!!

I've always been slow and it never bothered me. I knew I was getting a good workout and I knew I would never be a "competitive" runner, so I just ran at a comfortable pace. Sometime around 1993, I actually entered a 5K race and finished it without stopping to walk, which I was very happy with. In medical school, I tried running 5 or maybe 6 miles a few times, but I don't think I ever ran longer distances. Around age 35, my right knee started aching a bit at the end of 3 miles, and I stopped running. I've enjoyed my self-made regimen of fitness walking, aerobics with weights, core strengthening, and elliptical machine, but as spring approaches I am hearing the call of the wild.

I was in Phoenix in January on a work trip, and our hotel was near a running path, so I did 3 40-minute runs that week outdoors. It felt great! It probably wasn't wise to do that much that fast, and my legs felt it, but no knee pain. It made me want more.

So, I'm planning to start this week. I read about Jeff Galloway's "run-walk-run" training method and I'm going to try it. Bought new running shoes (Sauconys, first time ever). What I'm most excited about is my new gadget: I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305, which will track my mileage, elevation, heart rate, and pace for me.

My first goal is to train for a 10K. I may even enter a local race, just to see what that's like. If I can train without injury or other setbacks through the summer, I may even try a half marathon in the fall. Or maybe not. I'm hoping to discover some new local routes too. If you know of any 3-10 mile runs around Salt Lake without a lot of traffic, mean dogs, or steep hills, please share!