Running? What running?

Ok so the C25K has been a bumpy road and what should have taken me about 8 weeks has stretched out to........oh (a stinking lifetime) about three or four months, I've honestly lost track and am so lazy that even though I could go back and see when the date on the first blog is, I'm not going to.

Basically it's a head game. Runners know this. But I'm kind of a wimpy quitter, honestly. If I start to break a sweat or feel like I might be pushing myself an extra 1 degree, I just start walking, telling myself the exercise is just as good. I tell myself that running is bad for my knees. But I really don't have to tell myself anything. I just quit. I'm fine with that.

I did enter into another 5k and participate (really, that's the most accurate word without really lying). It took me almost ten minutes longer than the first one, but that was a pleasantly surprising alternate ending to just stopping and sitting down. Which entered my mind once or twice. Ok, I maintained that thought for the entire run (ugh, I'm sorry, it's a complete lie to even call it that, it was a slow meander. Not even a walk really). At the point when my "running mate" Lisa began to run backward cheering me along, I just said "Just go ahead and finish your run (before I punch you)". Ok the parenthetical part was....well, yeah it remained it my head for the moment. I was too tired to finish the sentence. My head was a bit angry that day. I did actually tell her after that I wanted to punch her. She was fine with it. Mostly because she knows I'd never do it. And that's mostly because she could kick my ass.

And my poor editor, Dirk, must have completely lost hope. In the past he'd send me little emails after I've turned MIA. Things like "Looking forward to your next blog!" or "How's your next post coming along?" But I haven't heard from him since my last blog post/eulogy was submitted. (He probably doesn't want to cry over another one of my blogs. I mean really, the last one was pretty touching.)He claims he's a runner and given me a few tips too. But I'm not buying it. I've never seen him do anything but stand around with a notebook.

And what is MOST annoying is that I've inspired my friend Jean to start training a C25K. And Jean is not a quitter. She's not even a "good enough"er. She's an "I'm going to kick this thing's butt and then I'm going to show IT how it's done"er. And then she'll most likely berate it about all the ways it was inadequate.

And so, now, I believe that my TRUE purpose in all of this was to engage other people. No need to finish as long as I got other people started on it right? See how I did that? That's called a lame justification. I'm quite good at them. It's an art really.

Here's another one. While stopping in for pizza one night at Supreme, the owner Nick told me he hasn't really been reading my blog because he's not a runner! Now why the heck would I want to lose a reader over something as dumb as running? I wonder if he'll read a blog about me quitting running? I wonder if he knows that he's directly to blame for my lack of blog posts? (Blame and passing the buck are also very important art forms, especially when lovingly paired with lame justifications.)

There's still the matter of that Rugged Maniac looming in September, but I've heard it's much more important to work on you upper body strength in preparation. Yeah I haven't really worked on that either. I DID tell my husband that he needs to make sure he's prepared so that he can boost me over all those walls and things. He's ok with that. I think mostly because he'll get to touch my butt. Which I'm ok with.

See? Everything works out.