I am not a runner. I generally don’t like to run or think of running. I like to think that I could run. I like to think that someday I will run. Certainly this is no secret to anyone who knows me. I keep saying that I want to run.

A couple weeks ago, as I was preparing for my trip to Ohio, my sister emailed me and told me to pack my running shoes because she was going to teach me to like to run. Uh what!?

So, when Janet, her hubby Glenn, and I met at the wonderful Mill Creek Park in Boardman, Ohio (one of the best parks in the world, IMO), I was nervous. I don’t generally like to run. I mean, I generally hate it. We started off slow, walking and talking about running. She told me to run from this tree to the end of the fence. Ok, I can do that. I felt like a slough running next to her, with her weird toe shoes. (Seriously, Janet, they look weird ). I stared at the fence willing myself to not fall on my face or collapse. I swear, that damn fence kept moving on me, but I got there. I panted and huffed and walked it out. We did this on/off for about 3 miles? I think. Felt like 20. We walked more than ran, but what we did run was more than I have run since I think middle school. No lie.

The thing is, I liked it. I didn’t like feeling like a big marshmallow at the end, but dammit I did it. I was determined to run a race by the end of the year. So, I am thinking of running the Reindeer Run in December. Janet might run with me. Cool.

I knew that in order to keep this up, I needed to keep ralking. Yesterday I went ralking around our lake. We have a lake in the middle of our neighborhood. It’s beautiful with a walking/biking path around it. It’s about 1.4 miles around the lake. I am happy to report that I ralked it twice. 2.8 miles of serious walking, running, craziness, and self-talk. I kept telling myself to just run to the next tree. Run to the next trash can. It worked. I still walked more than I ran, but I DID run. And, I will today.

It’s just like me to wait until the very end of summer to take advantage of the lake path. I mean, all summer I stayed indoors on my treadmill and it was good. I mean, I like my treadmill A LOT. But, it’s very easy to get bored and not try to push myself.

My sister texted me yesterday about something and in her text she said “be the turtle”. I take that to mean, go sloooow. Slow and steady wins the race. So, that will be me. I’m going to be a turtle.

Woot.