There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to accomplish my goals for the month.
Do you want to know why I’m so determined? Well, Tuesday night … I RAN THREE MILES.
All you runners out there know that’s not a huge distance. But for someone like me, who is just learning to enjoy running, that was huge! I was so proud of myself. I tweeted, I texted my mom, I texted my best friend. I was on top of the world.
I had skipped my workout Tuesday morning. My arms were ridiculously sore from my upper body workout on Monday … and an extra hour and a half of sleep sounded like the best thing in the world when Gavin DeGraw starting singing Tuesday morning (his song “Soldier” is my alarm clock sound). So I decided that it was going to be an unscheduled rest day.
That was until I got home from work. I was feeling anxious after putting some serious time into my new responsibility at work, and felt the need to move. I was too much in my head and needed a release. Plus, I haven’t been sleeping great and thought doing some physical activity could wear me out enough to put me to sleep. Initially, I was going to go spin (another one of my goals) with a friend. She bailed. I didn’t reallllly feel like going alone. I could have, but I wasn’t feeling it. I decided I wanted to run. Just … go. I wanted to see how far I could go.
I walked the first .10 of a mile … and then ran a full one (at a speed of 6.0). Then walked another .10 of a mile … and then ran another full one (same speed). I was feeling pretty ragged after that, but I pushed through. It felt good. One more .10 of a mile walk … and then I ran another full mile (again, at 6.0).
One of my goals is to run 5K by the end of the month. I think I’ve got this in the bag 
I will tell you that I don’t know if I’ve ever sweated like that in my entire life. Usually I get a little red in the face (except for at spin … I turn into a weird little blonde haired tomato), and my face glistens a bit. But I know I’ve still worked hard.
After my run Tuesday night (it feels SO COOL to say “my run”), you could have wrung my shirt out. I didn’t … because that would have been disgusting. But I could have. I came straight home, took a cold shower, and then did this:
I sat on the floor, in the dark, in front of one of my favorite electronics. Mister Fan. There was an enormous thunderstorm going on (and tornado watches in the area!), so I sat behind the screen of my open balcony door and let the rain smell waft in while I cooled back down to normal person temperature. Ahhhhh…..
*****
Yesterday, it was Camp Day at Tim Horton’s. It’s usually quite a big deal. The lines are always long, people are dishing out cash to donate or buying sandwiches and XL double doubles to send kids to camp who may not otherwise be able to go.
With my job in the media, I had the opportunity to work behind the counter for an hour yesterday morning as a volunteer. My coworkers (who joined me) and I thought it would be a great thing to help out, and then we were able to get some coverage of it for our show.
HOLY COW. It may have been the most high pressure thing ever. They gave me a couple of duties, and I felt so bad because I sucked. I was supposed to be dishing out soups and delivering sandwiches to all of the tills … and really wasn’t good. At all. I did it all with a smile on my face, because the employees and customers were truly awesome to be around and I was having a fun. But my pearly whites were really all I could offer – I think I made the process slower 
I admire people in the fast food industry. Based on my experience yesterday, I don’t think I’d last long!
Have you ever worked in a fast food restaurant? Was it crazy?!
I used to work at Starbucks, and it’s a tough job when it’s busy. I’m happy my days of drive-thru are over! I definitely give the workers TONS of credit, because it’s a tough job to do.
You know what? I totally forgot to buy a drink at TH’s yesterday!!
P.S GREAT job on your run!!
Thank you! I definitely learned to have more patience with fast food workers … I haven’t always in the past and it was a big wakeup call! Those workers are in high pressure situations!
Congrats on your awesome run!!!! Sounds like your hooked already!
. There really is nothin like the endorphin rush after a good run.
Dude – I totally AM hooked already!
hey, way to freakin’ go on the run. i know how it feels to start out and 3 miles is nothing to scoff at. i’m glad you are learning to enjoy it!
Thank you! I’m glad I’m learning to enjoy it too
Wooohooo! You can no doubt crush a 5k!
Eeeek! Just the thought makes me happy
Congrats on your run! Getting to those milestones, no matter what they are, are awesome! Good for you!!
Thanks Laurie!
Congrats on the running breakthrough. I should start running too and oh man, I definitely wouldn’t be able to get to 3 miles like you did. I’m not a runner. I wanna start though, just as a release and a calming thing. Might be good. I’m just kinda scared. haha
I’m no runner – yet. I was scared too … but just went for it! Give it a try, girl! We can compare notes
hahaha
I worked in food service at a bagel shop just like Tim Horton’s, it was my first job right out of high school. I had a blast! It ignited my love for coffee shops and I kept working in one when I went to college. It takes getting used to! Of course you aren’t going to rock it on your “first day” especially when that first day is only an hour long haha but good for you for helping the community – and for your new status as a runner! I am not a big fan of running but whenever I do run I feel like a rockstar afterward and with each new PD (personal distance) or PR comes so much triumph. That’ll keep you running for sure! Also, rain smell during a thunderstorm is THE BEST.
LOVE that smell. I want someone to make a perfume/body spray of it so I smell like it all the time. Why hasn’t anyone done that yet?!
congrats on the 3 miles! I felt like this was me because I am SO NOT into running. Lately, I’ve been forcing 2 milers in because I noticed some flab happening. Cardio definitely helps in that area! I worked in a pizzeria when I was 20, which was creepy because the manager was sexually harassing everyone. Yeah, never doing that again, lol. You got this 5k!
Thanks! This comment made me laugh. Not that sexual harassment is funny AT ALL … but the way you approached it made me giggle. Enjoy your night!
Congratulations on a fantastic run! Way to push through when it got tough, but pretty soon you’ll find that you love it too much to stop. There is no doubt that you’ll be rockin’ that 5k by the end of the month!
Thank you! It felt awesome … those endorphins are fantastic. Wish I could bottle those bad boys up
Nice job girl! Sounds like a great release, that is exactly what running should do.
Yes! That’s totally what it was. Such a great feeling!
Well done on the run, it’s great that you are so committed to achieving your goals!!!
PS. I think I’d suck at service in a fast food place as well!
Deb
yay 3 miles! i call this a good run too!
i work as a waitress and boy is is stressful when you’re busy!!
Congrats!! I remember the first time I ran that distance – I was so proud of myself, I woke up my boyfriend (who was napping after having ran a half-marathon that morning, which is what motivated me to go out for a run in the first place) to tell him. I eventually ran a 10K a couple of months later, and a half marathon a year later but that 3 miler is still the most memorable one for me. You can definitely get to 5K by the end of the month!