Day One-Mile One

110 days until the Tunnel to Towers Run so I figure I'd better get my azz in gear.

Let me start out by saying  that in no way am I out of shape. I'm a dancer & fitness instructor, I teach 8 Zumba classes a week plus Ballet classes and choreograph any number of shows so I'm always moving. I'm in decent shape but I am NOT a runner. I never have been runner and I never will be even after the "race". I'm pretty sure after September 25th I'll never run again unless it's for a donut...or bacon...or a bacon flavored donut.

Running SUCKS. OK let me rephrase that TO ME running sucks but I have made a commitment to my friends, to the memory of those who perished on 9/11 and to myself that I'd do this run and so with this weighing heavily on my mind I tied on my brand new running shoes  and left the house at the ungodly hour of 7:00 am after my cherubs had gotten on the school bus.

I live on a Trailway so I'd mapped out my Mile (it may seem like too much for my first day but remember IMO I'm in shape!) and set out to walk the 2 blocks to the trail head. Already I'm pissed off, my underwear is slowly creeping toward my crack, my socks are bunching and the smell of fresh coffee and bacon wafting from my neighbor's windows just makes me feel that I should be home enjoying hot caffeine and pig fat.

I get to the beginning, not including in the mile, and start off at a good walking pace because I know you just don't RUN, one needs to warm up and warm up I do. Sweat rolling down my chest and glasses slipping down my nose I walk the 2 blocks to the beginning of my mile and then begin the run.

First thing that happens is a man my father's age runs by me so fast that my hair moves. If I wasn't so out of breath already I'd chase him and trip him. Not more than 200 yards in and there's a slight climb, shoulders aching from the sports bra and the small of my back has decided to stage a protest. Let me tell you something about hills; common sense tells you that running UP a hill sucks but until you've run DOWN a hill you have no idea how HORRIBLE that is. It's a constant battle to not fall on your face!

Since the trailway is popular at 7:00 am in the morning I pass many people. The RUNNERS all looked either pissed off or have this far away look on their face, it's almost like they're having an out of body experience and aren't too sure if they should be happy or angry about it. NONE of them meet my eye. I'm not sure if it's a "NY thing" a "7:00am in the morning thing" OR (as I suspect) a "This running thing sucks but we're not going to admit it to anyone thing". All the walkers I pass say "Good Morning" and seem happy. Of course they seem happy, half of them are walking with huge cups of coffee and one I saw had a roll and butter. I really wanted to trip her too.

I can barely breath which I blame on my shallow "dancer's breathing" my nose is running and the sound of my feet on the trail have taken on a rhythm that sounds suspiciously like "Running Sucks, Running Sucks, Running Sucks" I can SEE my mile marker up ahead. I silently pray to every deity I know and ask PLEASE don't let me throw up. And then, after what seems like hours I make it! I round the corner and begin a fast walk toward home.

13 minutes. I don't know if that's good or bad. All I know is that it took me three times that to walk home and every last piece of strength I had not to call someone to pick me up.

My reward for running my first ever mile? I got to go teach a Zumba class. OH! And when I went on to Weight Watchers to figure out how many Activity Points I'd get for running a mile in 13 minutes I found out that for me it's 3. 3. That's not even a beer.

Running Sucks.