I'm awesome... but probably going to die.

haha... okay, so that's probably an exaggeration, but I felt like I was going to die when I finished running a little while ago.

So, earlier tonight, I told you about how I was able to complete my goal for this week on day 2 of 5. So, I set a new goal for myself. I completed that goal tonight. HAHAHA. Yes, I am that awesome. I ran all 5 laps tonight without having to stop to walk.

Although, it did hurt. A lot. Not my legs or other muscles. My lungs. They burn. Like fire. I finished the run about 20 minutes ago. The burning has almost stopped, but I am still coughing a bit.

I really feel like I pushed myself tonight. I didn't think I was going to make it past three laps. But, I knew I could do it. I made myself keep going. The end of the fifth lap, I didn't feel as bad. I just felt proud that I was going to accomplish my goal already.

Since my body was really feeling it today, I'm not going to up my goal for tomorrow. I just want to be able to run the five laps with more ease. Meaning, I don't want to feel like death when I finish. ;) Wish me luck for tomorrow. :)


P.S. My new running shoes are great. I love them. They don't hurt my feet or my back. They are comfortable and breathe really well. I even ran through a giant puddle the other night when it was raining (I didn't see it in the dark), but the shoes were dry by the next day. They are GREAT running shoes. I really recommend them. Again, they are Saucony Grid Cohesion 3 running shoes. :)

To Run or Not To Run...

When I was a little girl, I loved to run. And I was fast. I spent recess in elementary school running or playing on the jungle gym. I could beat people in races. It was one of the few athletic things I was good at. And I actually thought it was fun.

However, at some point between elementary school and now, I lost it. I now hate to run. And, I'm not good at it. And I am not fast at all. In fact, I am incredibly slow. However, there is one thing that hasn't changed for me about running. I still feel amazing after I run. Well, after the burning in my lungs stops, that is. ;)

So, I have decided to start running again. This past weekend Philip and I went shopping for a new pair of running shoes. It took forever because I have unusually wide feet for a woman. They don't really look wide (they look pretty dainty), but when it comes to shoes, it seems like my feet are enormous.

It's really hard to find women's shoes in wide sizes. And the ones I could find were not very comfortable. I found one pair of Asics that I really liked, but there was no way I was spending $150 on a pair of running shoes. We went to a few other stores and I finally found a pair of Saucony running shoes that fit really well and were in my price range (they were about $50).

And, I also picked up some pepper spray while we were at the mall because I don't like to run unprotected. This pepper spray is really bad@ss. It has regular pepper spray as well as military grade tear gas and UV dye (so the attacker can be identified later... as if you couldn't tell by the seriously burned face!) in it. I'm pretty happy with it because it's a weapon I feel confident wielding without fear of it being used against me. I have it gripped tightly in my hand with the safety off as I run so that I can use it in a moment's notice.

So, since I was prepared, I went for my first run tonight. It sucked. I just went for a few laps around the apartment complex. My lungs burned, I was sweating profusely, and I seriously hated just about every second of it (I took Jack with me and he was having a great time, so that made me a little happier about it). However, despite my hatred of the activity, I still find myself sitting here, about two hours later, feeling absolutely wonderful.

My muscles feel loose. My lungs feel great (I've been having a few asthma problems again lately, but I feel great tonight). I have tons of energy. And, I'm sure I'll sleep great tonight.

I will probably be sore tomorrow, but it will be worth it. I will start to see a notice in my shape immediately. Running works every part of my body. It tightens the muscles in not only my legs and butt, but also my back, my abs, and my arms.

So, even though I really don't like running, there are entirely too many positives that come out of doing it. And, after a few weeks, I will come to not hate it so much... I will not say "like" it, because that would be a lie. haha Maybe someday it will be an activity that I can say I actually enjoy. Maybe. Until then, I'm going to keep doing it so I can reap the benefits of the vile sport.