Running Class

Tonight was my very first running class! There were about 25 people who showed up for the class and we were divided into two groups--true beginners and slightly more advanced beginners. My trainer Shane (a lively and handsome triathlete) had us walk a mile and then alternate two minutes running with four minutes walking. It was a gorgeous evening and the smell of gardenias and magnolias was so strong in the air--a perfect runner's perfume. At first, the running wasn't nearly as hard as I thought, but for the last two minute run, I felt all this heat rise to my skin, as though my body was trying to get rid of something. My arms turned red, and I started to scratch like crazy, as I tried to help whatever it was that was coming to the surface, to get out, and leave me. I imagine that this is what a snake feels like when it's shedding its skin. It was a heady, primal moment, and it took me a while to cool down.

In the past, I've turned to running as a last resort to rid myself of unpleasant emotions--I've only run when I've been at my most depressed. I can remember running in Binghamton's nature preserve, listening to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" over and over and sprinting until my lungs hurt. But now, this need to run comes from such a different place--strong place, a determined place. I was so proud of myself when I was finished, and I found that I wanted to run more. I realize that this might be a beginner's high but I'll take it. I can't wait to run a real 5K race!

Mother Teresa said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love. Do not wait for leaders. Do it alone, person to person."

Or step by step, as the case may be.