Nine Weeks

Or maybe it's been ten. I think I did week eight twice. In any event, I've completed the couch to 5K program.

My running routine has evolved over the weeks. I now roll out of bed at around 6-ish in the AM a few mornings a week. I leave Miss Viv and Vince to slumber and I walk, half asleep, down the street to the school and park. My old-lady knees were not taking kindly to the streets, and let's be honest, it's much easier to jog without pushing the jogging stroller. I huff and puff in an imperfect oval, crossing paths with the early morning neighborhood usuals: dog walkers, overfed park dwelling squirrels, tai chi practitioners, the octogenarian who walks gingerly and always says good morning to me with a warm smile and a bowed head.

When I want to stop, I think of Vivian. I say to myself I am so blessed to have this healthy body that can jog even though it's hard for me. I think of going home to make my coffee and eat my cereal topped with banana.

I am still a very s l o w jogger. Quite honestly, I probably walk faster than I jog. But that's ok. I have no need for speed. It's the feeling I have when I'm finished that I crave. The feeling that I can take on the day, joyfully and energetically. That is a gift I give my family and myself.