Helga....

A while back I posted that I was starting to run on the treadmill at the gym. Again, let me just say, that this is a feat in and of itself. Alas, since my crushing data collection schedule has settled down I'm able to drag myself from the office to the gym to run. On one of my workout days I nicknamed the treadmill "Helga" because that sounds like some kind of ruthless personal trainer. :) The name is apt: she kicks my butt each and every workout. Despite my efforts to do the experience justice in words I cannot convey how challenging running is for me. Before every workout I have an internal argument with myself, "I don't really need to go the gym", "I'm too busy", "I don't have time", "I'm sore from the last run". Blah, blah, blah. Some days I give in and skip but other days I scold myself and change into workout gear. Then I walk myself down the hill to the gym where Helga takes me to task. At the end of each workout the most amazing thing happens. Without fail. I feel like I can do anything. Like I can take on the world. Simply incredible. If I had known this would happen perhaps I would've started running long ago. Yeah, probably not because I remember maybe the first month of workouts were awful. I felt terrible. Exhausted. In pain. And that from running relatively short distances. Rather slowly. I don't know what possessed me to keep going.

Update: I had wanted to work towards running 5 km (a little over 3 miles) in 30 minutes. While I haven't reached my goal just yet I'm making strides with each run. No pun intended (it just happened). I am very proud to say that I'm now consistently running 5 km each time I go to the gym. Unfortunately, I can't do it in 30 min yet but I'll continue to work at it. More to come.