I am a Piscis, and very true to my nature I love being in water – specifically in a pool. I love to swim laps or just swim underwater and imagine, (yes even at my present age) that I’m a mermaid in my own little underwater world. I can’t even begin to put in words how awesome and relaxed and exhilarated I feel when I get into a pool of water. I am in my element. That’s why the thought or idea of running just doesn’t register in my mind very well, I almost flinch when I hear the word or suggestion that I run.

But then something happened. Every now and then in the past few weeks I would see the occasional post on FB by a friend that she’d just completed x amount of miles using x gadget to track her progress, or I would see my husband go off for a run and come back feeling exhilarated, or I would see a pack of high school boys getting their training in around the neighborhood, and I would tilt my head slightly to the side and thoughtfully think “hmmm….”

And then suddenly I found myself awake at 5:10am on Wednesday morning and changing into my gym clothes and lacing up my running shoes. I know, it’s mystifying even to me, but yes, I actually do have running shoes, which I sometimes (but very rarely) use when I take Biggie for a walk, and which used to get more use when I was actually going to the gym. And as I’m zipping up my sweater I’m thinking to myself (at 5:30am now) but it’s still dark outside, will it be weird that I’m the only one out in our gated community running laps around the lake, what if I wake up the dogs on the west side of the community pool and that starts all the other neighboring dogs in a chorus. Stop. My more outspoken and positive inner voice starts to tell me it’s not too early, it’s not like I’m running out there at 2am, and I’ve been wanting to do this, just get out the door, and get on with it already. She can be a little bossy, but she gets the point across.

So I step outside, start my Endomondo Tracking Device/Gadget on my cell phone, take a deep breath, and head towards the lake. I started off with a powerwalk around the lake and then as I got closer to my starting point I started to think…I wonder if I can make it once around running? And before I had a moment to change my mind my feet were already starting a faster pace and next thing I know I’m running! And I’m thinking WOW this feels great and the more I’m advancing the more confident I feel that I can keep going and I begin to reach my starting point again and I’m thinking, okay, let’s try another lap. And the more relaxed I start to feel with my stride, the more I’m able to take in what’s around me. It’s still dark except for the well placed light posts around the lake and the occasional sensor light that flicks on from someone’s house. I can hear the ripples from the water as the ducks and swans move about, and up above me there’s a bunch of stars in the sky and the air is cold and refreshing. I feel so alive!

That was my first day running in a very long time, and that morning I ended up doing 1 lap power walk, 3 laps running, and 1 lap power walk. My Endomondo tracked it as 1.63 miles in 23min 12 sec. Today I was up again and running at 5:40am, and this time I did the same routine but added 1 more lap running for a total of 1.91 miles in 25min 53sec.

I feel so incredibly proud of myself! It’s no secret, since I’ve written about this in the past, that it’s been difficult for me to find time to workout now with a baby and working part time and going to school part time, but I feel like I’m finding a little rhythm here that is very doable, especially on the days that my husband is off so he is home with the baby while I’m out getting my workout. Like this morning, Celeste woke up at the exact time I was getting up to get ready, and thanks to my husband taking over soothing her and putting her back to sleep, I was able to continue with my exercise plans.

I feel so great after I come back from my run and I love that slight sore feeling that I get throughout the day, it reminds me of my victory!