Image by doug88888 via Flickr

Today is the big day.  I got to run on the street again after months.  My last ‘real’ run was July 20 and I ran 8 miles on the treadmill.  I’d been running on the treadmill for several weeks because I thought it would help spare my knee.  I was so wrong…

The big day.  I went to bed sort of early – around midnight – which is early for me.  I woke up at 9:30.  Not on purpose.  I kind of remember waking up earlier and being kind of confused about what time my daughter needed to be at school.  I went back to sleep and woke up pretty refreshed at 9:30.  I don’t remember sleeping until 9:30 in a long time.  I’m pretty sure my daughter got to school.  I didn’t have any calls or text messages from a panicking teen wondering why I’m not ready to drive her to school, so yeah…  She got to school.

I rolled out of the bed and immediately went to the closet to get dressed for my big run.  Alright.  My running clothes are all smaller than me now.  LOUD SIGH.  I have gained an insane amount of weight wallowing in pity and using my knee as an excuse to not do ANY kind of exercise.  LOUD SIGH again.  First things first, though.  GREAT FOUNDATION.  I was reading a funny article written by Clinton Kelly on fashion faux pas the other day that included this cheer: 

1…2…3…4… Get your boobies off the floor!   5…6…7…8… Now’s the time to elevate!

That is hilarious to me and such great advice! 🙂 

Back to my running outfit for today.  I found some shorts and a shirt that I could breathe in.  I checked for camel toes, muffin tops, dunlaps,  etc. and I was good to go.  (Except that I can’t find my good earbuds.  I love my Apple products but these danged Apple earbuds suck.)

I was a little nervous about the ‘run’ but hurried on out the door.  Here we go!

This is pretty much what it was like:  “I’m out here.  I’m walking real fast.  Okay, now it’s time to run.  OUCH!  The concrete street is much less giving that the treadmill and it’s not moving under my feet.  I’ve got to propel myself??  And what’s all this gasping for breath about???  UGH.  This is gonna be hard.  Okay.  I can do this.  A minute is a long time to run.  What did I just say to myself?  A minute is NOTHING!  STOP IT.  (I talk to myself when I run.)  Alright.  Get it together.  Those last three minutes were just a warm up.  I got this.  (yes – poor grammar, but that’s what I said to myself)  Think about your breathing.  Stop bouncing.  Stop worrying about your knee.”

I eventually got a good breathing rhythm going and it actually felt good.  I remember what it is about running that I like.  It was just me and I could only do what I could convince my body was within reach.  At first, I was a little confused.  I really wanted to run but it really hurt.  Then I decided that it didn’t really hurt so much as it felt different.  My knee felt big still.  That makes sense because I’ve still got some fluid on it.  I felt really tired much quicker than I felt I should.  That makes sense because running uses different muscles and requires different breathing than the elliptical machine or even the treadmill.  So much going on but at the same time very simple.  I can go as far as I can convince myself I can go. 

I didn’t go far – only 2.5 miles.  I was convinced I could go further but I am also convinced that I need to follow instructions and my instructions are to take it slow.  Slow is better than not moving at all, right?