Wow.

That was not a “jog.” That was not a “saunter.” Nor a “brisk walk.”

What I just did, my friends, was run. And it felt really, really good.

Today was my longest run ever – 40 minutes. And for the first mile, I really felt as though 40 minutes was well past my threshold. My stomach had cramped up. My calves ached. And my left Achilles tendon was twinging with pain.

But then, I hit the mile mark, walked for a block or two, and began to run again. And by golly, once I got going again, I didn’t want to stop.

!!!!

I told myself I’d run to Columbus Street – a half a mile away – and then slow down to walk for a couple of blocks. But then I got to Columbus and just kept on going. Got to Washington, stopped at the light, and then kept on moving when I got the walk. Slowed down to speed-walk a couple of blocks – just to be safe – and then picked up again, taking one of the Old Town hills in stride and gazing out across the Potomac.

With the exception of a block or two more, I ran all the way home. Ran AROUND the block that my house sits on, actually, because I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want this run to end. And that, my friends, is a first.

So wow. Now, for the first time, I really see why people enjoy this whole biped thing. Why people wake up at ungodly hours to get a couple of miles in before breakfast. Why people dare to run the distance from Sparta to Athens on a Sunday morning just for fun. I get it now. And I want more.

Today was a blessing – and a major turning point in my training. And – dare I get so dramatic? – perhaps a major turning point in my life.

Dang it, I can run. And I like it. Maybe there’s hope for me after all.

:)