So, up until recently, I’ve never been super athletic. I used to play sports a lot as a kid, but once the sports season was over, I did nothing. Then I started going to the gym senior year of high school, and well, that ended my “doing nothing” streak. I started off with ellipticals and easy weights, just because I never was a runner and I had shin splints from playing lacrosse. Back then, if I were to see myself now, I would be very impressed. I’ve come along way and I’m definitely more fit than I was before.

So, like I said, I never really ran before, especially just for the sake of running. It wasn’t really my thing, and I found it really boring. However, now I just seem to think of it as yet another game. Another tenth of a mile and then another tenth, level after level. I also frequently listen to music while I run, which helps. Some songs will make your rhythm decrease, while others increase. It definitely helps to get you in the mood to run. Some songs just seem to be made for that.

So one day in the winter, it just hit me that I wanted to run. I was in a little bit of better shape thanks to capoeira, but I needed something else to occupy me. I started off with something simple, a half mile. Even then it was hard. I really had no breathing pattern for running, and my muscles were not in shape. I started to get pains in my knees after a while, and my shins started to hurt again. But I kept on going anyway. Slowly through the semester I kept on working at it, and by the end I was positive that I could run a mile, and in 9 minutes as well. That in itself was a big improvement for me. During high school, I could not run a mile; I just wasn’t that fit. My mile time was around 12,13 minutes, and that included walking as well. I wasn’t happy with it, but I knew I could do better. So the fact that I did really got my hopes up that I could do better.

So as the semester ended, I joined a gym here back at home, and kept up with my running. I found it embarrassing to go running outside, but I realized I had to get over that fear, so that’s what I did. I just went out running, starting at night, when there were few people out. Soon, I got a lot more comfortable with myself (in other words, I realized I lost weight and dropped a few inches on my waist), so I decided to go for a run outside, during the day.

Let me just say that running outside is one of the most liberating experiences you can have, especially if you’ve only run on a treadmill. First of all, you can’t monitor your speed; second of all, you just run. That’s it; just run. You feel the warmth of the sun, feel the cool breeze on your arms, and see the looks of people wondering if you’re going to pass out because you’re breathing so heavy. But it’s a fun experience, and I like it a lot more than running inside.

So, the other day, as I was running, I thought everything was going by quickly. It seemed like I was passing all these landmarks sooner than I should, and then bam, I was done. I checked my time at the end, and I practically fell over from excitement. I got a 7 minute mile. I never thought I would reach that point that soon (and I did another one again two days later, so it wasn’t just a fluke). I guess it was just the proof I needed that I was improving, I was doing something for myself for once, and I felt really happy about it.

On that note, I’m going to go for my run before work. Here’s to a good playlist of Kelis!