In transition

What’s the difference between a regular person who exercises and an athlete? Well, regular people are like me, and athletes are… I don’t know. Better than me? Definitely skinnier than me.

I can’t be sure, but it seems like athletes exercise because they like it or something, but us regular folks do it because we have to, or at least for me, I run because as much as getting up early to run sucks, I’m sure it beats living with diabetes and/or having a heart attack.

I do have things in common with athletes though. For example, I’m rapidly accumulating a collection of running gear. Ya know, everything from hats to socks for all temperatures, in “wicking” fabric, ‘cause duh, Cotton is Rotten. I’ve also got a fancy multi-buttoned watch that I barely know how to use, iPod arm band, muscle-massaging stick …inhaler. I have to say, I look the part. I’ve lost a few pounds, too. I’ve even subscribed to Runners World… who am I?!

I think I am in a period of transition, and today was a milestone. I had my first “tempo” run. Tempo is a fun word for hard. The idea is to push yourself (a figurative term that athletes use) to run about a minute or so faster each mile than you do normally.

I did it, which would make me a regular person who exercises, BUT, the craziest thing happened today! I enjoyed it! Honest to goodness, it felt awesome, albeit in a very masochist way. I felt this dull discomfort kind of in between my lungs, but I thought about it, and I was like, “well, I’m not out of breath; I’m breathing just fine. My legs don’t hurt…” and I told myself that walking wouldn’t make me feel better, so I just kept running, and when I finished, I felt like I won! I felt… like an athlete?!

I’m learning that athleticism is not a matter of have or have-not, rather it’s a spectrum, let’s say, between heart-attack-waiting-to-happen and Olympian. After today, I am 3.5 rockin’ miles further away from where I don’t want to be!