OMG I'm Jogging

Oh my god I'm jogging.

And not completely hating it.

Ben and I have been working out on the treadmill almost daily since the New Year. And about a month ago he decided he liked to run. Now he runs outside when he can, tracks his miles and times, and signed up to run a 5-K with Andy in May. And he loves it. Really loves it. Especially when the weather is good enough to run outside.

I was glad he found a workout routine he enjoyed, and I was proud of trudging along on the treadmill 30 minutes, night after night, and losing a little weight even though I hated every minute. I knew I would never run - I have always hated running. The kid who cut corners running laps in gym class - that was me. And my aversion to playing sports also had a lot to do with this dislike of running (could also be lack of coordination and skill, but probably not).

Then Ben suggested I pump up the speed on my customized workout so that I would have to jog at the highest speed, which occurs during 10 of the 30 minutes. So I did. And the first couple of weeks I just had to really power walk to get through that speed - I couldn't jog. But in the last week I have been jogging all of those 10 minutes. I huff and puff and don't think I"ll make it through, but I do. I did that four nights in a row, then had pain in my legs that kept me awake at night and so took last night off (please explain to me why it is so hard to take a night off?). Anyway, I got back on tonight, and once I got through the first several minutes, it wasn't that difficult. I may be jogging the majority of the time in a few more weeks.

I don't love it. But I think it's a workout I can keep doing for a while. And both Ben and I feel good about being healthier - in eating habits and exercise. I just hope it lasts.