Still...not bad.
...this was my third day back to running. The last two times I'd taken Miss Kittin, but I realized last time out that she's not cut out for a lot of running. She will haul ass after a squirrel like nobody's business, but she's a sprinter. After my last run, I had to backtrack afterward and get her as she'd lagged behind. Today, I took the dogs out first, and let Mikey stand in the water for a while. He really enjoys that, and the weather was gorgeous. The vet called today with the bloodwork results from his exam earlier this week, and his adrenal function is out of whack somewhat. She said it could either be a UTI or cancer. I'm taking him back in Monday for a sterile urine collection so they can test for the UTI. If that's it, we get antibiotics and he'll be fine. If that's not it, we're likely looking at cancer. Again. It's been a year and a few months since I lost Shiva, and she was a year older than Mikey, but I still didn't want to think I'd be facing it again. Ouch.
So I let him walk in the creek even if I knew my car would smell like wet dog afterward. He was so happy, and we all had a beautiful time walking. Then I took them all home, and went back out by myself for the run. I ran the first small loop I was building toward, which is really half of the park, on one side of the paved road that runs through the middle of it. It might be just a half mile, it might be 3/4 - I suck at judging distances. But I know it's more than I did before, and since I wasn't chasing Kittin and backtracking and jogging in place waiting for her, it was a straight run. About halfway through, there's an uphill, and then I switch around and I'm coming back downhill for a while so I can catch my breath. Same uphill at the very end, same strong finish. Nice fast walk up and back to cool down. Stretching. Stopping at the grocery store on the way back.
I felt pretty good about the whole run. Someone pointed out that a fast walk for a longer distance is just as good (and maybe even better in terms of less damage on the joints, etc) as running in terms of exercise. I know that, and I keep it in the back of my mind. But there's something about running that feels like such an accomplishment - a way of soldiering through something that seems hard and has a definite beginning and an end to strive toward, and tangible results. I feel this connection to what I was when I was younger and felt invincible. It feels good to be running through the woods. I like the way my legs are already starting to look different, more lean, the way they did when I was running years ago. If I find myself having problems with running, I'll move to walking and elliptical training at the gym. But for now, it's good to feel like I can finish something, accomplish something, be victorious over something, even if it's just a small loop around the park.
So I let him walk in the creek even if I knew my car would smell like wet dog afterward. He was so happy, and we all had a beautiful time walking. Then I took them all home, and went back out by myself for the run. I ran the first small loop I was building toward, which is really half of the park, on one side of the paved road that runs through the middle of it. It might be just a half mile, it might be 3/4 - I suck at judging distances. But I know it's more than I did before, and since I wasn't chasing Kittin and backtracking and jogging in place waiting for her, it was a straight run. About halfway through, there's an uphill, and then I switch around and I'm coming back downhill for a while so I can catch my breath. Same uphill at the very end, same strong finish. Nice fast walk up and back to cool down. Stretching. Stopping at the grocery store on the way back.
I felt pretty good about the whole run. Someone pointed out that a fast walk for a longer distance is just as good (and maybe even better in terms of less damage on the joints, etc) as running in terms of exercise. I know that, and I keep it in the back of my mind. But there's something about running that feels like such an accomplishment - a way of soldiering through something that seems hard and has a definite beginning and an end to strive toward, and tangible results. I feel this connection to what I was when I was younger and felt invincible. It feels good to be running through the woods. I like the way my legs are already starting to look different, more lean, the way they did when I was running years ago. If I find myself having problems with running, I'll move to walking and elliptical training at the gym. But for now, it's good to feel like I can finish something, accomplish something, be victorious over something, even if it's just a small loop around the park.