When I talk about how I began running 6 years ago, I most often talk about how my journey to becoming a runner began with being humble enough to start where I was and not worry about how slow or awkward that seemed to be. I worry a lot about what others think anyway, and shuffling, red-faced and jiggling, down the sidewalk in my neighborhood was mortifying if I let myself think too much about it.
But I didn't let myself think to much about it. And from that humbling start, I grew to love my running and to be pleased with the way it changed me: my attitude, my willingness to take other risks, and the (smaller) size of my pants.
And now I find myself back at a humble beginning. Again. Now's not the time for the story of why that's the case. Suffice it to say that my running has been completely sporadic for a while. As I started planning a reasonable training schedule for a half marathon in March 2011, I had to face the fact that it meant starting with a weekly total of 6 miles. Just 3 2-mile runs. That's not the runner I've been for the last several years! But I have a choice: Be humble enough to start where I am, again, or dwell on what I've done in the past and buy bigger pants.
So I'll pull on my running shoes in the morning and do my 2 miles with joy.
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