Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Aftershock

Hey neighbors, sorry you took cover in doorways and under furniture when the earth starting shaking beneath you again this afternoon! That was just me, trying to run after nearly five long months of lethargy and cake.

It was a gorgeous day for a run: sunny and warm but breezy and not too humid. My oldest son was off at his first day of first grade, and the baby had recovered from his 2-month vaccinations and resumed his sunny disposition. There was peace in my house...the stars had aligned....the time to run had arrived.

As I started my long warm-up walk, I knew right away by the way my legs felt that running would be hard. Exactly how hard would come as a surprise.

Shifting from a walk to a slow jog felt like trying to carry an elephant up a hill. I felt like I weighed 800 lbs and had not a single functioning muscle group. There was pain in places that I'm sure are not supposed to hurt while running, and I was 99% certain I was having a heart attack. And forget about breathing! Apparently I picked up a pack-a-day smoking habit when I wasn't looking, or so my lungs would have me believe. I thought I ran slow before, but today I think I was passed by a little old lady with a walker. Well, I can't be totally sure, since my eyes were fixed firmly on my feet -- seeing them was the only way to be certain they were still moving. I was stunned by how awful it felt, and in my typical dramatic fashion jumped right to wondering whether I could even do this anymore...

And then suddenly it was over! I had completed the intended three minutes. I didn't die, or even pass out. And I could still walk home when I was done. So, forget I said anything about how much it sucked. I ran today, and it felt A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I'm back. :)



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