Running Report #1

Alrighty, ladies and gentlemen. I set my alarm, actually got out of bed before it went off (I think I was nervous I would sleep to deeply and miss my commitment as I slept like poo last night), dressed and stretched and went for my first official 10K training run. RUN might be a stretch. Maybe a jog. Nah, even that is pushing it. Restate: I went for my first official shuffle-walk this morning. Talk about a reality check about how really out of shape I am. I kept telling myself I could run 10 minutes straight before I'd have to walk. Uh, yeah, by four minutes I was pushing myself to make it to five. And I don't look so lean and graceful like I've seen on the Olympics. Flo Jo I am not. BUT, I did it. I got up and I ran for five minutes, walked for fifteen, and then ran home in about eight minutes. I figured (on my map my run site Amy sent me) that it was about a mile-ish, so I'll call that an accomplishment. I sweated. That counts for something, right? Here's a few signs I can tell I am out of shape:
1. I spent more time thinking about my outfit to wear running than my warm-up.
2. I didn't load good running songs on my iPod and when it hit the Mo-Tab playlist I told myself I could have a spiritual experience while I ran. I figured, however, I couldn't feel the Spirit if I was cursing in my head the whole time about how hard it was to get my body moving.
3. When I run I feel like King Kong since all my foot steps sound like, "Ka-thud, Ka-thud"
4. I just needed more air but couldn't get enough so I was breathing through my nose AND mouth and sounded like some perverted phone caller with how heavy my breaths were coming.
5. My body isn't used to circulation apparantly since my whole body started to itch by the half mile mark.
6. I couldn't have a normal talking conversation with anyone (which is what you are supposed to be able to do when you have a good pace) unless they wanted a conversation like this, "So (puf puf) I was talking (puf) to my sis (puf puf) ter yester (puf) day . . . " You get the drift?
7. I re-negotiate my run rules WHILE I am running. For example, "I will run ten minutes before I walk." "OK, maybe I will lightly jog for ten minutes." "Actually, I will go straight for the next three songs on my iPod." "Ya know, this is a really long song, I will just start walking when I get to that corner up there." "Did I say that corner up there? This one is a good one, too. Time to walk."
8. "Oh, wow, didn't know I even had a muscle there."
9. I seem to have an abundance of phlegm that worked itself free during this morning's exertion as I sounded like a 82 year old emphazema patient once I hit the shower.
10. I didn't come home thinking, "That was great; I feel healthy and positive." Instead, I am still at the "This sucks" phase.

Besides fighting the urge to go get a Coke (at 8:03am), my day's agenda includes a trip to the scrapbook store to stock up for our ward's scrap nite on Wednesday. And if I don't get my bathroom cleaned I am fairly certain some sort of creature is going to crawl out of the mess and build-up we have accumulated on our counter. Yes, yes, another moment of silence for dearly departed Paula.

I forgot to mention last night in my insanely long post that we got a new bishop yesterday in our ward. I had committed myself to be on time (you know I hate to miss good stuff like a ward leadership shake-up) and barely made it by the opening song. I don't know if I was particurly hormonal, overly impressed that I was there to hear the opening song, or what, but I was feeling the Spirit so strongly that I had a hard time not crying throughout all of sacrament meeting. (For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, the bishop is the leader of our congregation and after he has served for a while, he is released from his responsibilities and asked to serve elsewhere. Meanwhile a new bishop is called.) Our old bishop, Bishop Foote, and his wife spoke, as did his counselors (one of which is the new bishop) and their wives, and then the new counselors and their wifes. Anyway, it was a sweet tender meeting and I enjoyed being there very much (despite the typical wrestling and whine-squelching we do weekly with our kids.) Sister Foote shared something I thought was so simple yet profound. She said there were some who had never known a different bishop than Bishop Foote, but the fact that there was change in the calling didn't affect the truthfulness of the gospel. I really was feeling that. So often, I think, the church is judged by the people who try their best to live the standards of our belief. But, we are just normal people who are trying to do and be our best. Sometimes it's fortunate to judge the church by the members, other times not so much (again, since we're normal people, very imperfect.) Anyway. I have loved Bishop Foote and am grateful for Bishop Olds. Change is good. Right, like the running and changing my lazy habits, cleaning a filthy bathroom, Change is good.