Running sucks.

I cleared myself to run again a few weeks ago, just before my week long trip to Kentucky. I figured I'd be able to find time to run there, and from my last trip, I remembered "there seemed to be a prettyish kind of a little wilderness" around the campus.

I did the 1.5 miles just I wrote about around the campus because I couldn't figure out how to get down to the park. So later that week, the weather was way too perfect to not take advantage of it. Out I go for my run. The trees are beautiful and the sky is clear. But there are hills.

I'm sorry, but I'm from Louisiana and if anyone has ever driven through this state, you'll know that we are either at sea level and mostly below sea level. My legs tremble at the thought of running uphill.

So I followed the path where it was level and that was pleasant enough. I took the hill for a few seconds and I totally wimped out and turned around. I felt so many pairs of eyes judging me as I ran back in the other direction. I wanted to just say, "C'mon, look at my pencil legs! There's no way I'm going to make it up there."

The next day turned out to be equally the perfect spring time weather. I work in an office most days, so any chance I can to actually feel the sun on my skin, I will take it! This time, instead of just turning back around when I faced the hill, I walked. Yeah, you heard me. I walked, and there is nothing wrong with walking. Paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Back me up, brother: 

Okay, so okay I didn't walk to help with my brain function and memory. I was only walking because, like I said, there is no way I can run up that hill. But the point is, if I didn't just take it easy on myself and walk, I would've missed the best part of the park - the view from the top.

Cherokee Park in Louisville is an incredibly beautiful place to run [or walk or lay around], and if I didn't move my flat ass to the top of the hill, I would've missed out on a spectacular view. As with those times in life when we would prefer to just revert back to what's comfortable rather than push through the difficulties, imagine what we might miss out on? The amazing thing about our bodies is that we are adaptable and capable of growth. Just a few months ago, 3 miles was nothing. Today, 3 miles sucks. In a few more weeks 3, or even 4, miles will be a good run again.

Last month, I was invited to attend the Team in Training spaghetti dinner the night before the Rock N Roll Marathon that my volunteer, Allie, ran. John "the Penguin" Bingham [www.waddle-on.com] spoke to the hundreds of people who spent months not only preparing for the race but also raising thousands of dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The Penguin is all about completing what you've set out for yourself regardless of how long it takes you to get there.

“Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I’m content with what I can do and if I’m completely satisfied with my pace, distance and form as a runner. It’s only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forwards.” - the penguin

So I'm frustrated that I can't run uphill or faster or longer. But, God willing, I will keep on keepin' on. [Because there is free food and drinks across that finish line.]

Now, it's time for a random cute photo:

You don't need teeth to enjoy a beer.