The team meets on Saturdays for a long run, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays for training runs. The Saturday run is the more important of the three, as this is where distance training takes place. Tonight we did intervals, which is slow runs interspersed with sprinting.
I arrived at Rio Vista school at about 6:50pm, elated that the location was so close to where we live. I'm used to getting in the car and driving for at least 20 minutes when attending church events or visiting friends. This was a five minute drive! Yay! There were about four or five people milling in front of the bleachers that faced the track. I walked over and introduced myself.
Now, let me be clear that I have never, ever, run a race before. Not a 5k, 10k, not even a two mile walk/run. I pray it was the Holy Spirit that possessed me to sign up for this. The Spirit, and the opportunity of getting to wear a team t-shirt and experiencing the bond that comes with reaching a difficult goal.
Everyone was very nice. Most were beginning runners, one was a walker; one girl was young and relatively small (relative to me...I consider myself big bone-ded) and looked fast. I talked to a few as we waited for the coaches.
It was pleasant to see a familiar face come towards us...Shane H. I had gone to junior high and high school with him, and later ran into him occasionally at People's. He is now a pastor at Northpoint, and has as much energy now as he did then, according to one of the others.
So we began. We walked, we ran, we jogged, we slogged. I walked a bit in the beginning, then broke into a jog and tried to do a few intervals. I have to say, the first mile or so was tough. I think I started out too quickly and didn't warm up enough. My breath was coming too fast and I felt like stopping after three laps. Then I hit my stride and was able to run fairly well, with two or so walking breaks. I was slow, but steady. I quit with the intervals halfway through, because I wasn't going very fast on them anyway. My legs were already tired from a hard run the day before, and refused to sprint. I gladly complied.
But it was a great run. I love it when it feels like my legs can go on running forever, even if pace is just a notch above walking. I love the sweat, the effort. I like the idea that I will be fitter, faster, and hopefully thinner next week, next month...and I wonder how my running will be in six months. Will I be able to break an 11 minute per mile pace? I didn't even know how fast I was running because I lost count of my laps after the third time around. Will I be able to even finish 13.1 miles? I've never gone more than 3.5 in my life. Will I be able to even wake up early enough for the 6:30am (gasp!) Saturday runs?
I like to think I'll do okay. With God, lots of water and new shoes, I'll slog through. And just might make a new friend or two along the way.
Until the next run...
