The First Few Steps

It's those first few minutes that are the toughest.  In fact, many times, just putting on the running shoes and opening the door is even more challenging.  We're not talking about some huge run.  It can be 6 miles with the same thoughts racing through my mind.  Today, it was 15 road miles--easy pace, no less.  It wasn't a flat run, but with a heart rate monitor to keep the effort in check, 15 miles at an easy pace is just that--easy!  Or so it would seem...

After spending more time than I should have catching up on blogs, and such, I mustered up the energy to fill my bottles and head out the door.  It was 52 degrees outside and I was expecting a cold shot of air to hit my body as soon as I stepped onto the front porch, but it felt good, almost too good. Damn! I can't use the excuse that it's too "cold" outside.

I walked to the curb, looked down both ends of the street, took a sip out my bottle, and pushed the little red button on my watch and began to walk--a few moments later, a slow jog.  And, oh!, how I felt lethargic, achy, and slow. Before I get to the end of the street, which is six houses down, I'm ready to stop and walk back to the house.  I turn the corner, and my mind fights me with each small stride--but I keep moving forward.  Within 10 minutes, those thoughts and physical ailments are a distant memory and I settle in to a comfortable pace, feeling as if I have already accomplished nothing short of victory.

In the end, whether it's running or anything else in life, it's about taking that first step, even when our consciene is telling us to quit.  And, even when those first several steps still seem tough, before too long, the struggle is behind us and replaced with the satisfaction that we stayed with it long enough to accomplish what we initially thought was almost impossible.

Unknown peak in the San Juans