Really need to get my REAR in GEAR!!

How many or you remember P.E.? You know, physical education, back when we were in school.  I remember one time trying out for the track team in junior high (what they now call Middle School, I won't go there, it's showing my age).  I never made the team, I wasn't fast enough, but I was a lot faster than most. And because of this competitive failure, I hated running.  Anyway, that was not a part of P.E., but running was.  I hated it! In fact, other than when we got to play games, I remember just doing what I had to do to get by. I was just not coordinated enough, which  I now find very funny.  However, I over came the awkwardness and coordination issues and became fairly athletic.  I played tennis and softball all through junior and senior high.  Then I went to college, and of course, we had a P.E. requirement. BLAH! Why couldn't we just test out of that like some of the other courses? Naturally, I took the easiest one, P.E. 101 -  Running! NNNOOOOO!!!! This class became P.E. Run-0-Run!

I remember running the basketball courts.  There was a line that was around the perimeter of the courts and there were 8 courts. This was a popular sport at my college, especially pick-up games.  Anyway, that was our class, we were to run around on that line for 15 minutes and keep count of how many laps we made.  I hated this practice so much! However, after not making the track team in 8th grade I was not going to fail this class.  I learned I was a slow runner, but very competitive, so I'd always sprint at the end to try to make up time. My heart felt like it was going to just jump through my ribs and flop out there on one of the courts by the time I was finished.

The instructor finally let us off the courts to run a path around the campus.  The path was a 3 mile trek,  so I really had to learn how to pace myself to keep the heart thing from happening.  I mean who would want to see that? A heart just jumping around on the pavement while it was gasping for air and blood? That was not going to be my heart they saw.  The funny thing is that when the class was over, I discovered I loved to run, albiet, very slow.  My roommate was a runner too! We both worked parttime so we usually ran after we got off of work, which was usually 9:30 at night. Back in those days, it just felt safer. If you saw us you'd probably stop and go "Huh? Did I just see what I thought I just saw?".  When I said I ran slow, I wasn't kidding, I really had to pace myself once I got the heart thing going. I'm sure you can understand why.  I was so slow that my super athletic roomie would literally run circles around me while I ran a straight path.  Sometimes she'd get ahead of me and run back to me, or just do the circle thing, but we were always together to keep each other safe, unless we were running in the day. 

I miss those days!  I could run 3 miles and think nothing of it, even with shin splints. Eventually, the shins gave out, got spooked a few times running back home after I graduated and of course life took time away from me. Did I say that I miss those days, I looked decent and healthy to boot. LOL! Anyway, my mom's pastor has challenged her congregation to do a 5k towards the end of April, 2012. That's 3.2 miles!  So, I'm hoping to get back into the 3 mile routine, I know I can walk that fairly easy.   What I would like to do however, would be to run it.  My DH (see above to find out who that is) says he doesn't think I can or should run it, he's afraid I'll mess up my knees.  Getting old, it's a witch with big ol' capital B and as much as I hate to admit it, he's probably right. I hate when that happens.  I was walking 3 miles a day in my neighborhood (yes, it's that big believe it or not), until I got spooked again by a person of questionable motives. Heck, he just scared me to death, luckily these days I have a cell phone and immediately called 911.  Anyway, of course, once I got over being spooked, I was out of the habit of walking. Hate when that happens too!

So this 5K has given me something to work towards, a goal.  I just need to get out there and get back into my old routine of walking.  Then one day, maybe I'll be able to run it instead, and I sure hope I can do that without the shin splints this time around.  Off I gggggggggggoooooooooooooooooooooo.......................................