Morning Musings
I’ve never been much of a runner. The idea of lacing up my sneakers and hitting the pavement has never appealed to me. Running laps was always the part I dreaded most during cheerleading practice.
And the first (and only) 5K I’ve ever done was a struggle. Like, I stopped halfway through and refused to run anymore, thus prompting my college roommate to place both hands on my butt cheeks and push me up the hill (thanks, Dayna!).
Like I said, I’m not a runner. But after a conversation with a friend on the Fourth of July (hi, Matt!), I decided to give it a try. Sure, I'd been doing yoga during my day job's week-long self-care sabbatical, but sometimes you've just gotta sweat, you know what I mean? Matt told me about his Couch to 10K program and the 20-minute intervals and I thought, "I can do this."
Then the book I'm reading featured a teen track star and I took that as a sign from the universe. After spending longer than I care to admit mindlessly scrolling on Instagram, I told myself: "In the amount of time you've been sitting here, you could have been on a run and back."
So I downloaded the Nike Running Club app, laced my tennis shoes and hit the proverbial pavement. And you know what? It felt good! I selected the "First Run" guided run in the app because a) I had no idea where to begin and b) I like the idea of someone motivating me and cheering me on, even if I can't see them.
I ran the entire time -- 20 minutes and 1.49 miles. And then, because our phones spy on us, I saw an sponsored post for a women's 5K in October and, because I'm a glutton for goals, I signed up (btw, there are macarons in the swag bag, just saying!).
I'd intended to run three times the following week, because goals. But life and Mercury in retrograde got in the way. On Sunday, however, I went for another run and selected, aptly "Next Run" in the NRC app. I'd been feeling overwhelmed by my to-do list to the point of panic. So again, I took the streets and this time I ran 1.74 miles in 22 minutes.
I know it's not the fastest and, honestly, that's not even the point. I'm sweating, I'm getting fresh air, I'm feeling good about what my body can do. I haven't hit the runner's high yet, but maybe I'm on my way.
P.s. If you're a runner and you have tips for a beginner like me, hit "reply" and let me know!
Love,
L'Oreal
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