Holy crap, I'm running.

Ahh Dear Reader, we have come to the moment you've been waiting for...a post about some actual running. (No please, don't get up...applause aren't necessary).

In the past couple of weeks I did start to dabble a bit with the treadmill, in the vicinity of 3 or so miles a workout, and each time I would try to see how far I could go without stopping. The first day I ran about 3/4 miles straight (and I was psyched), the next time, about the same, but threw in another half mile of running in the same workout, just to increase the amount of running time. I was running in my Veebs (of course) and feeling pretty damn jazzed about it. Every time I see the sign next to the treadmill that says "Shoes must be worn at all times" I still secretly wish someone would pick an argument with me about how I'm not really wearing shoes, etc etc, but alas, no.

This week, I finally decided to take this show on the road...truthfully, it was more like a gravel bike path. The weather was sunny, and a bit brisk (just the way I like it!) and I figured, hey, that Disney half marathon ain't gonna be indoors so I better get my butt outside.

So I drove to our local scenic bikepath, a splendid little 1.25 mile stretch of white gravel along a river. The parking area is about halfway in the middle, so I walk a half mile to warm up, then turn around to start running, with another half mile at the end for a cool down.

I would love to say that after the completion of the warm up my feet took on a life of their own, as if they were thanking me for finally releasing them into the wild to run free, the gentle pat of my forefoot being drowned out only by the sound of my heart. In reality, I gasped and nearly coughed up a lung in the frosty air. Running outside is noticeably more difficult than treadmill running. Little did I know, but that bastard treadmill was actually helping me along.

My confidence waivered. I thought of all those 1/2 and 1/4 miles I ran on the treadmill and how psyched I was to be running more than 2 minutes straight, and yet here I was, thwarted but the outdoors. Regardless, it was good to be outside. I was taking baby steps.

I decided to let go of my distance aspirations and focused on my rhythm and technique. The rhythm felt pretty good, although I think my strike was consistently to the mid-foot, rather than forefoot. I also focused on keeping my upper body steady, with minimal vertical bounce (much to the happiness of my boobs, yay!). I appreciate the fact that the trail gives you markers every 1/4 mile which allowed me to gauge my progress and how I felt after each 1/4 mile. I think this is why I gravitated to the treadmill - it gives me a chance to see how far I've gone without losing my shirt on one of those GPS watches.

Overall, a satisfying first time out. I logged a total of about 3 miles, alternating running and walking. I call it "wunning". Eventually, I will be a full fledged runner, which to me means that I go out for a run and RUN the whole time. Baby steps...