run a marathon

not far from where I live. Some people told me it’s a great place to run, so tonight (yes, a Saturday night!) I tried it. The area was pretty deserted (no surprise for a Saturday night), which was semi-scary and semi-serene. I estimate the lake is 9/10 mile around, and I ran around it 3 times. That means I’m almost ready for a 5K, which is great because I’m running one at the end of this month. I can’t wait to run around the lake again in the daytime; I know it’s foolish for a woman to run alone after dark.

Someone at work wants me to do a triathalon with him: running (3 miles), biking (6 miles), and kayaking (1 mile). In addition, some friends have asked me to do a 5K with them next month. So the motivation is there.

I used to run through my neighborhood—different streets every day, for variety. I was always the only one running, and I definitely got some strange looks (that seemed to say, “Why aren’t you in bed?”). Now I stick to the city trail, because it’s full of other people exercising bright ‘n early each weekday morning. Although the scenery gets old, it’s much nicer to see other people running and cheering me on.

I’ve adjusted my schedule slightly to accommodate the puppy (who needs to go out like 15 times a day), but I’m still working at it. Last week I went home to Cleveland and even ran in the cold and rain. It was actually nice. I even bought a copy of “Runners World” for some motivation. This week I’m headed to Orlando for work; I may stop at the Nike outlet on the way home. Maybe if I look the part, I’ll feel like a real runner.

My friend Cara will soon be moving here from Texas. I e-mailed her today, and she’s agreed to train for a 5K with me. Maybe by the end of this week I can find one and sign us up. I know it’s not the same as a full marathon, but it’s all about baby steps!

I used to run every morning. But two weeks ago, I got my wisdom teeth pulled. The medicine has been making me feel sick, so I haven’t been running in two weeks.

Today’s plan was to jog to the library with an empty backpack, fill it with books about Australia (for another goal I’m working on), and walk home. Turns out even an empty backpack makes jogging uncomfortable, so I walked both ways.