I just kept on runn'ang...

I'm gonna go ahead and call myself a runner, even if I'm only running once a quarter. hah! Nah - I was doing really good for a while there in the summer, running 2-3 times per week. I'd go just after laying the girls down for bed at 8pm, when I had 30-45 minutes left of daylight. It was perfect, because my run would end as the sun set, and then I'd go for a quick walk to cool down. But, somewhere near the middle of September, my knee started to ache. I heard it pop while I was out on a run, so I figured I had twisted it funky. By the time the knee felt better, the days were too short and it was way too dark outside for me to run comfortably... I haven't run since September - until last night.

A friend of mine invited me to go with her, and I was very hesitant as I agreed. I told her the long story about how I was once a "runner" and then the knee and now it would be my first night back. She kinda snickered and said it was okay - she assured me that she runs slow and is sore from her last run so wouldn't want to go very far anyway. So, like a good friend, she talked me into it.

The first ten minutes or so were excruciating. I felt like she was running too fast, and each time I tried to slow down the pace, it would just pick right back up again a block later. She was prancing along, carrying conversation like it was Sunday brunch. I? I was huffing and puffing and wondering how I got myself into this mess. But after my warm-up, I was on fire...

We started towards my favorite greenbelt path talking on the way about whether we thought it would be lit up or not. The entry to the path is at least 1/2 mile from home - and when we got there, we discovered that it was NOT lit up, so we turned around and headed back so we could stay under the safety of the streetlights. On the way back, we agreed that we could just go back home and call it good - we were both satisfied with a quick run as our first time out together. But, something got into me as we reached the top of the hill, and the corner of the street, and I told my friend that I wouldn't mind to keep running if she was up for it.

She met the challenge without any hesitation and I started to wonder what I was getting myself into. We then ran around the neighborhood, talking about how our legs were starting to feel the pain. We agreed to go that last little bit and then start walking to cool-down ... and she was reminding me again about her last run and how sore she was from that run. She said at this point that her legs felt like spaghetti noodles. She was glad we had stopped to walk.... and so was I. It had been a very long time since I tried to run at all - let alone any distance over a mile or so.

But, we made it home safe and sound and I felt really good in the shower and then later as I curled up with my book to wind down for the night.

Unfortunately, though - I didn't sleep very well at all! My leg muscles were mad at me and even my back was starting to protest. I'm glad - because it means that the workout was good and effective. But, at the same time - I thought the workout would make me tired and help me sleep deep.

This morning, as I write this and grimace at the labor strike my body is on, I think about my friend... I hope she's doing alright this morning! I hope my decision to keep on going wasn't painful for her. I hope she wasn't dropping me hints that she would like to walk the rest of the way and I just wasn't catching on! I hope she wants to run with me again.

Running with a buddy is so much easier and a lot more fun than running alone. I wish someone would have told me this a long time ago! Now that winter's approaching, I'm so afraid that our good habits will die too quickly. Too bad we don't have an extra treadmill in the basement - then I could just invite her over when it's snowing!