Pleasantly sore

Yep, that's me.

It took a while to get there - to meet my friend to go running. There was a massive traffic jam on the freeway trying to get there, and I spent about 25 minutes in stop and go traffic, in a manual transmission vehicle. Yep, by the time I arrived (30 minutes later than what we had planned) my left leg was a bit sore. My friend actually did not get out of work on time, so as luck would have it, we got there at about the same time.

I'm glad we went, but it sure was dark at that time. Makes me remember why this is the time of year that I start heading back into the gym. That, and I am paying for the membership, I might as well get some use out of it...

It's nice having someone to run with. Keeps you feeling safer when it is dark. Helps to pass the time in gasping conversation.

We talked about a couple of things - Like the fact that I started running again four years ago the week of Thanksgiving. I think I had lost about 40 pounds at that point, and one of the reasons I wanted to lose weight is because I wanted to be able to exercise without feeling like I was going to keel over. I ran a lifetime ago when I was on the track team in Junior High. My event was the half mile. I consistantly came in last, but at least I was out there trying. I did that in 8th and 9th grades. When I got into 10th grade, I started doing synchronized swimming, and it conflicted with track, so the running went by the wayside. And thinking back on High School, it's hard to believe that I graduated weighing somewhere around 120 - 125. And I thought I was heavy through most of High School. Body image, isn't it grand?

I talked to my aunt tonight too, and said something about going running. She asked me "do you really like running?" To which my answer was "yes." She said that she is just one of those people that doesn't enjoy exercising. I told her that I needed to get myself motivated some days, but once I start, it's a great feeling. I guess I just need to concentrate on "that feeling" to get myself in gear once again.

And I will be doing it next week. I have the week off of work, and Eric and I are heading down to Oklahoma to stay with my sister for the week. I was kind of hoping to find some sort of Thanksgiving Day run to participate in, but it appears the only one on Active is in Oklahoma City, and we will be rather far away to do a silly race - she lives near Tulsa. I did, however, briefly contemplate registering for a race on the 19th in Tulsa. They are doing an inaugral marathon (route 66 marathon) in Tulsa, and there is a Half marathon along with it too. Like I said, I considered, but in reality, we won't be getting there in time without really killing ourselves, and yeah, if I am having issues running 3 miles at a decent pace (we did the 3 mile loop today in about 32 minutes, with two walk breaks for me) there is no way I could finish a half marathon.

In another unrelated topic - I came home to an "intersting" message on my answering machine: My mom calling, and saying that she and dad had gotten back, and went to the emergency room, and dad hadn't had a stroke, but he had something called Bell's palsy that was causing the muscles in his face to freeze up. Um, whaaaa? You were thinking that dad might have had a stroke???? Yeah, he started having the face paralysis when they were in Mexico on their cruise, and mom just forgot to tell me when I talked to her on Sunday. It was still a little unnerving to come home to that message. And again, they both hate the ER, still. And dad will be going to his own doctor, where the ER doc recommended that he have a Lymes test. Makes sense to me - hopefully it will be something like that.

Yep two posts in one day. What is the world coming to?

~a