Why Should I Learn to Run Now?

I have reached that time in my life when things are beginning to fall into places here before not believed.  I am still growing unbelievably, but instead of up... I'm growing out!!  So it was time to do something about it.

A fabulous friend talked me into learning to run with her.  My whole life I could never run, not even a mile!  I was a sprinter never a long distance runner, couldn't even imagine being physically able to run that far without side cramps.  On our first run, she tells me we will be doing intervals.  Three minutes of running and then one minute of walking for 3.3 miles!!
Talk about intimidating!!   

I start off jogging for the three minutes... guess I'm in better shape than I thought.  That one minute of walking didn't take that long to get to... by our third  interval... I am soo ready for the one minute walk!!!
Panting and holding my sides through out the fourth interval I manage to get through to the one minute again.  Who knew this would be so hard?  I DID...  That's who!  Now I am starting to think I'm going to die before we get to the last lap around the park.  
  
But then... it happens... the second wind!!  Course it is the downhill part of the run so maybe that's what it is... but I'm okay with that... and then just like that, its over.

I can't believe I made it the whole time without passing out!  I didn't need an ambulance to take me to the hospital.  Beyond belief, I actually felt energized.  Excited for the next run.

Why I thought it would be that easy the second time around  I don't know.  But I really did think it would be easy again.  Off we go, same intervals, three minutes of running, one minute of walking.

By the second interval I think that I have been running for 8 minutes straight!  I can't believe that it has only been a few moments.  Seriously?  Why am I in worse shape than our first run?  I straggle on for the rest of the runs.  It is hard to believe I actually finished, but I did.  Pride made me finish.

We ran three times a week for the next month.  Then one day I say, whew, this three minutes feels so much longer than before... she turns around and laughs... then she says " We have been running for three minutes and thirty seconds for a week now."  And the whole time I didn't notice.  Every week she raises the time we run, by just a little.  While I am still very tired out during our runs, I am showing huge progress.  I actually managed to get 10 miles in the other day... I was totally worn out by it, but I managed to get it done.  So glad that I have a great friend who has helped to push me to getting into shape!

Thanks K. Clark you are amazing!

Jo
www.wasataylor.com