6 miles?!?!

If someone had predicted a few years ago that I would someday be a runner, both Mike and I would have been rolling on the floor laughing. But yesterday, I ran 6 miles! I could give you all the caveats, like the inclusion of warm up and cool down walking, but that's not really the point.

I decided to start running when I was 43 years old. Why? Mainly because I wasn't getting much of a work-out by walking anymore. I saw Mike and others running on the treadmills at the gym, and the physical differences it was making in their fitness, and decided to give it a try. It was in no way easy, even though I'd already been working out at the gym 5-6 days a week for a year. I had no endurance, was quickly gasping for breath, and ran slower than molasses. It took me five months to finish a 9-week beginner running training program. At the end of that program, I could finally run for 30 minutes. The sense of pride at my accomplishment was amazing, because I knew how long and hard I had worked.

I moved on to 5K (3.1 miles) races, finishing 5 last summer. I was still slow (I've been passed by 5 year olds and 70 year olds), but always finished ahead of the walkers, and gradually improved my times. I even got a medal once for finishing first in my age group. (OK, I was actually the only runner in my age group - it was a small race.) I worked my way up to running for an hour, and now, almost an hour and a half. I ran in the cold and snow this winter. I subscribe to Runner's World magazine. I read books about running. I'm probably going to try a 10K (6.2 miles) race this year, which even last summer seemed impossible. I'm still pretty slow, but I'm out there running 3-4 times a week, and usually even enjoying it.

Who is this healthy, strong, person that I've become?