The Reasoning

I am not a runner. Let's just get that out in the open.

I joined track my freshman year of high school to get in shape. Ended up being manager and not running. I joined cross country senior year of high school to get in shape. Ended up being manager and not running. Sensing a pattern here?

Well, this time is different. (Yeah, I know, you've heard it before.) It's different because I have someone who is going to be right beside me, running the whole way.

It started with one of my good friends, Oli. She explained her plan to run a half-marathon and asked if I wanted to work out with her once a week since our yoga class had been cancelled. I agreed. Somehow, that morphed into my running at least 5 times a week, most of the time with her.

So, with the idea I wanted to run a 5K Carroll hosts in April, Oli invited me to run with her today. (Details of that run to come.) And so it began.

I have my reasons for wanting to do a 5K. Sure, some of it is because 5K seems like a just far enough away goal. But I have selfish reasons: I want to lose weight. Last doctor's appointment I was 15 pounds away from a weight I said I would never get to and I came to the shocking realization I have gained 20 pounds since starting college in the fall of 2010. And I want to be healthier in general.

But really, here's something that I don't think I've told anyone before: I want to fall in love with writing. I love the simplicity of it. I love that it's you, your shoes and the sound of your shoes hitting the pavement. I love that it can be a solitary endeavor or with friends. It's portable and with the right equipment, I can run inside on days when the weather is nasty. (I go to school in Wisconsin - that's about 75% of the time.) I have always been drawn to running - it's why I went out for track and cross country. But I never had someone to push me. Someone there, right beside me saying "Ann, seriously? You're a LION!" or "Don't think about running. Think about your hat. Think about its ridiculous bobble on top."

So there you have it. My reasoning. The plan is going to get modified a bit as my work schedule gets finalized, but I'm going to put it up here - mark my words. Because I definitely need you all to encourage me to just run one more step.