The Longest Mile

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not much of a runner and I certainly don't achieve any sort of runner's high when I engage in the activity. Nonetheless, Ed has me running each week during our training sessions now, with a goal of building up to a mile soon. I'm at 3/5 of a mile now. The purpose is to burn calories, but also to build muscle and to prove that I can do this. "But can't I stick with the elliptical?" I've implored him. No. Why not? Because running is harder in the sense that there's no real momentum, it's all work. OK then, I've signed up for work with my training, so I must do this. I do like a challenge though, so I accept this one. I realize that one stinky mile is rather wimpy anyway, so I agree that I should be able to do this without a struggle. Of course, I could run a mile now if I had to, but I wouldn't be up for much else afterward. In the interest of doing this independently sometimes, I bought a pedometer this morning for $16. I'll be missing my session with Ed next week because I'll be on vacation, but I fully intend to run, using my pedometer to ensure that I do a full mile. I can't afford to miss a week of running and slip backward with my endurance. Confession: I also bought a new pair of running shoes. I love the brand Ryka, so I sprang for the pair pictured here. I'm partial to the high top style, a throwback to the '80s, but I don't care. They make me happy.