I Can Jog a Mile!
Tonight I jogged a mile for the 3rd time in my life. The first time I jogged a mile was around the beginning of August, and the 2nd time was last week, so I am only starting to be able to say "I can jog a mile."
Growing up, I read, I climbed trees, and I played with dolls. I was outside a lot, and I did run through the woods near the lake where we lived, but these were short bursts of running followed by lots of walking and contemplating nature. As I child, I could sit still for long periods studying ants, or examining flowers, or looking for mica in the slate and shale rocks near the lake.
In 6th grade, however, I flew around our little playground at Una Elementary and won a ribbon for running, so in 7th grade I tried out for track. It was a rude awakening to discover I was the slowest girl who tried out and the only one who couldn't run all the way around the track. I failed so miserably and was so deeply mortified, I never thought of myself as a runner again, but that all changed last year.
After moving to a tiny room in a Microtel hotel when a washing machine hose burst in the night and flooded my house in 2010, my tiny dog Katy became deathly ill and could no longer see, hear or walk. I had to painstakingly nurse my fragile little girl back to health which meant I had to stay in the cramped Microtel room with her almost 24/7. After a month or so I realized I was slowly turning into pudding, so I started jogging in place in the Microtel, just 200 steps at a time at first I was so out of shape.
By the time we moved home, little Katy was doing somewhat better, so I began to take her to our local park to let her walk a few feet and enjoy the smells. Then I would put her in the car and walk a lap or two myself. One leg of the track runs downhill, so I began to jog down that side for 1 lap, then 2, 3, and 4 laps. By the time I was jogging downhill for 4 legs, I figured 4 legs equaled a lap, and I should start running 1 lap. Soon my little dog and I were both in better shape.
Tonight as I started my 5th lap, I remembered when jogging one lap was so difficult last year -- much harder than jogging five laps is now. It was only a year ago that I started jogging for the 1st time in my life. Today I jogged a mile.
It is with a feeling of accomplishment and deep satisfaction that I look back on my slow start into jogging and fitness. It took me over 50 years to become a jogger, and I started by jogging in place 200 steps in a Microtel hotel. Now I can jog a mile. I feel better than I have in 30 years, and I wonder how many of those girls who outran me in 7th grade could outrun me now.
As the commercial says, "JUST DO IT."
Growing up, I read, I climbed trees, and I played with dolls. I was outside a lot, and I did run through the woods near the lake where we lived, but these were short bursts of running followed by lots of walking and contemplating nature. As I child, I could sit still for long periods studying ants, or examining flowers, or looking for mica in the slate and shale rocks near the lake.
In 6th grade, however, I flew around our little playground at Una Elementary and won a ribbon for running, so in 7th grade I tried out for track. It was a rude awakening to discover I was the slowest girl who tried out and the only one who couldn't run all the way around the track. I failed so miserably and was so deeply mortified, I never thought of myself as a runner again, but that all changed last year.
After moving to a tiny room in a Microtel hotel when a washing machine hose burst in the night and flooded my house in 2010, my tiny dog Katy became deathly ill and could no longer see, hear or walk. I had to painstakingly nurse my fragile little girl back to health which meant I had to stay in the cramped Microtel room with her almost 24/7. After a month or so I realized I was slowly turning into pudding, so I started jogging in place in the Microtel, just 200 steps at a time at first I was so out of shape.
By the time we moved home, little Katy was doing somewhat better, so I began to take her to our local park to let her walk a few feet and enjoy the smells. Then I would put her in the car and walk a lap or two myself. One leg of the track runs downhill, so I began to jog down that side for 1 lap, then 2, 3, and 4 laps. By the time I was jogging downhill for 4 legs, I figured 4 legs equaled a lap, and I should start running 1 lap. Soon my little dog and I were both in better shape.
Tonight as I started my 5th lap, I remembered when jogging one lap was so difficult last year -- much harder than jogging five laps is now. It was only a year ago that I started jogging for the 1st time in my life. Today I jogged a mile.
It is with a feeling of accomplishment and deep satisfaction that I look back on my slow start into jogging and fitness. It took me over 50 years to become a jogger, and I started by jogging in place 200 steps in a Microtel hotel. Now I can jog a mile. I feel better than I have in 30 years, and I wonder how many of those girls who outran me in 7th grade could outrun me now.
As the commercial says, "JUST DO IT."
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