Running Lessons

I went on a run today. Well, more of a slow jog. And really, I was walking about 60% of it. It’s a start though, right?

Part of the first month of my training in Sacramento will be Physical Training, and part of that is something they call "baseline fitness assessments". The first baseline testing involves a 1.5 mile run, sit ups, push ups, and a flexibility test. 

Now, I'm not a runner. Ask me to hike four miles uphill? You bet I will. Ask me to swim 500 yds? No problem. But ask me to run even half a mile, and I start freaking out. So when I saw the requirement for a 1.5 mile timed run, I knew I had some preparation work to do. I bought a pair of running shoes and some new socks, and today marks the first day that I become a runner.

Surprisingly, I liked it a lot. When you aren’t running around in circles on a track there are things to see and people to greet. It was sunny but breezy. My new shoes were springy and comfortable. I think that if I get in the habit of running in the next month, I might be able to run a mile and a half by the time I get to Sacramento.