Dedication to Jogging

I'm sorry that I took a week off. Interim report cards went out Friday leaving me no extra time or sleep to really enjoy myself. Now that I can breathe and enjoy myself...I can blog. Chrissie said she's going to get me a button that says, "I am so blogging about this." I guess that's because she makes so many appearances in my blogs.

I have recently discovered that I am not completely dedicated to jogging. You would think that I would be. After all, I jogged my toe nails off on the killer trail. I jogged through knee pain than required a cortisone shot and a week of using a cane or crutches. I was getting up at 4:30 in the morning to jog. I was really dedicated!!!!

My marathon running friend had me actually consider starting to train so that I could run with her. My 5K was getting really close to 30 minutes (which is in the pathetic, are you sure you weren't walking, range for my marathon running friend). I came really close to signing up for a 5K to benefit a family whose premature son was costing them a lot in medical expenses. Then it happened...it got COLD! I woke up one morning and it was 30 degrees outside. I was going to jog...train for the upcoming 5 K. I expected "chilly" and put on some sweats and stepped foot outside only to turn around and say, "Ain't no way that snot, sweat, and tears are going to be actually freezing to my face today!" Thankfully, the gym opens at 5am. I decided to go to the gym instead. I actually had to scrape my wind shield to drive. I really am surprised that one truly freezing day was enough to send me to the gym. I haven't jogged in a week and a half because the only time that I can jog in the "heat of the day" is on weekends and it rained over the weekend.

I started writing this entry to the blog on Friday. Now, it's Monday...let me tell you what happened this weekend. It warmed up. :) I wanted to jog on Saturday, but by the time I got off from work, it was gloomy outside. I was bummed, actually. Then on Saturday, Chrissie said, "Mom, let's go run the killer trail. I know you've been missing it and it's nice (50 degrees) outside." We both got our shorts and running shoes on. (A friend of mine said, "Only white people would go outside in 50 degree weather in shorts." I think she's right. :)) It was great. Chrissie really ran for the first mile, she even had a grown man, in great shape, pick up his pace to stay with her until she stopped and waited for me to catch up because he wasn't going to let a little girl smoke him like she did when she passed him. It was nice. That took a lot out of Chrissie so after about a half mile of jogging at my pace (5.5 miles an hour according to the tread mills I had resorted to for the last two weeks, though I can go 1 mile at 6 mph), she started walking. I jogged to the 2.5 mile marked and turned around to get her and we both jogged to the three mile marker. That is almost a 5 K so I told her we could walk if she wanted since she was worn out from racing that guy for the first mile. So we walked, but raced each other on the hills. She beet me every time except once when I tied her because I false started and kept going. She is pretty amazing. I am going to have to pick up my pace so that she won't have such a difficult time jogging with me. She says it is really hard to jog that slowly. I remember that being hard when I was a kid, too.

Any ways, it turns out that while I am not dedicated enough to jog much below 50 degrees....I still love it. Perhaps I won't completely give it up during the winter.

Oh, here's a shout out to Virginia who has lost 34 pounds and lowered her cholesterol and had a great doctor's visit because of it. You go girl!!!! I'm glad I was on the list of people you wanted to tell the good news to. :)

Until Next Week...