For the newbie runners and Fat Chicks Running viewers, who might get discouraged by the awesomeness that is the progress made by CarbKiller and Hogzilla:

I’ve been searching for the perfect pink running shoe forever, watching the FCR blog from afar with envy and haunting Charm City Run (http://www.charmcityrun.com/) in search of a 5k to get me to finally do it – jump into Week 1 Day 1. Last week, I signed my husband and I up for a 3-mile walk to benefit arthritis (May) and decided I am going to do it – start running. I mentioned my goal to a work-dad who participates in family runs with his wife and kids and he invited me to be on his family team for the Susan B Komen run in October.

Armed with a team, a race date, and a tax refund that fell into my bank account a week early, I ordered the running shoes. They won’t be here for a week but today is the first day of a new month and a Sunday, and since every new long-term endeavor must begin on the first day of a new month I decided I could suffer through the first week in my old walking shoes.

Better, since a shitstorm of shit-tastic proportions is supposed to be heading for Maryland tonight, I figured I’d have the high school track all to myself. No time like the present if I want to drag myself down there without any skinny fit guys scowling at me for clopping and lumbering along in their lane. So I layered and laced and grabbed my iPod and cell phone (how is it possible I don’t own a watch?) and headed out.

I wasn’t totally alone. Some old guy was doing this strange stiff-legged shuffle around the track when I got there. His blue track suit rustled eerily in the sinking dark. Somehow he continued to stay ahead of me, despite my jogging intervals. Old Dude was fast with his shuffle. Anyway – I know the interval is supposed to be 60 seconds run, 90 walk. I made it through the first run. By the time the second came around, I was still determined, but the chest pain and the wheezing set in about 45 seconds into it. The third run lasted about 30 seconds before I realized I was drooling on myself and couldn’t feel the soles of my feet anymore. (Oddly, through all of this, I didn’t notice whether my D-cups were bouncing out of control or staying put inside my cheap sports bra – which I guess means the sports bra did its job.)

By the time I gave up on running, I was really, really tempted to stop and head home. Old Dude kept me going, though. I didn’t want to look like a sissy leaving after two and a half turns around the football field. So I stayed to finish the mile and snuck up the stairs when Old Dude wasn’t looking.

At that point, I realized the error of my plan to utilize the “right across the street” highschool track: “right across the street” going TO is downhill. Coming FROM? Up. Hill. I think it took me 20 minutes to make that 5 minute trek home. And did I mention lung failure?

And now that I’ve made Week 1, Day 1 public, I can’t get up and go out for day 2.

2 Responses to “Guest Post: Emily’s Day 1”

  1. Er, should say I can’t NOT get up and do day 2 🙂

    Today, so far so good – minimal pain! Mostly just a twinge here and there and I’m still eager for the second day. Which, if the snow outside is any indication, might end up taking place in my living room with a modified Wii Fit jog. Maybe the snow will melt by tomorrow??

  2. CarbKiller says:

    LOL. Go Emily! You can totally do this!

Leave a Reply

You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>