(His beautiful, effortless stroll is charged by a dying mother)

The morning has been temperamental, but beautiful;  the only time of day it's not ridden with the dank humidity that sucks the breath from your lungs.   

As of late, I have been trying to condition myself to run long distance.  For me, although I am desperately out of shape right now, it is the most relaxing form of exercise outside of my very casual relationship with Pilates. I've been at it for two weeks now, and I am feeling pretty good.  Well....after I got over the initial feeling of death.

I am not old, but I definitely don't have the metabolism (or superb eating habits) I once had.  It's not just about numbers to me. I am interested only in feeling better and becoming healthier.  I was told about this app for distance training called Couch to 5k, and was convinced it would actually help.  So a free download later, and I am on Day 2.  It's 25 minutes total (for now).  Starting with a five minute warm up walk, (after stretching of course...my shins didn't like me on week 1 of trying to get in shape), then the next 15 minutes are filled with intervals of 1 minute runs and 1.5 minute power walks, ending again with a 5 minute catchyourfreakingbreath walk.

The app interrupts The Avett Brothers and Andrew Bird to instruct me how fast my legs should be moving. The first few runs are easy.  I feel kind of cocky.  But as my tenth minute of this kind of route ensues, I am ready to kill myself when I hear the *ding* that is bossing me into running again.  This is only made harder by the fact that I am pushing a NON lightweight jogging stroller with 62 pounds of child PLUS stroller weight.  In addition to those factors, we live in a 5 mile radius exempt of flat, straight roads, so uphill it is!

As the cute little robins fly and chirp overhead, I laugh as I envision a more realistic scene that involves vultures.  To make matters worse, there's this spot on the trail that smells like a rotting animal...may I remind you it's hot out?  Very hot!  So as I exhale my breath of life, I inhale the stench of death.  

Today was a bit easier.  I only had one child with me; the lighter, 20 pound one. And although this is only Day 2 of Couch to 5k, I have been building my stamina the past 2 weeks.  I had to learn to slow my pace a bit too.  With long legs, my natural stride encourages me to sprint, but my lungs beg for me to s l o w  

d o w n.

I'm gonna keep chugging along, thankful that my lungs and legs are healthy enough to withstand the brutality and exileration of exercise, and someday soon be able to actually run a 5k and feel accomplished.  Go me!