It's happening . . .

Running around Greenlake is so great. Michelle, Ellen and I have been running on Saturdays for the past few weeks. Well, we run a good portion of the time. I am still working on my distance and I still have shin splint concerns. However, running on the gravel and using the ice after is really doing the trick.

So anyway, Greenlake. We were running last weekend. Ellen is great to run with because she gives us achievable goals – run to that tree . . . we are going to start again at that trashcan . . . stuff like that. It is very helpful to have her pushing us and having her there makes me push myself too. Usually we stick together, Ellen tells a story because Michelle and I can’t talk while we run yet. But last Saturday, Greenlake was very crowded and we had to weave around people as we ran. As I ran this particular small stretch, almost alone since Michelle and Ellen were behind me a bit, I told myself I would run to “that tree.” Well, I got to that tree and I realized that I could keep going. Not only could I keep going, but it didn’t suck. I don’t know how far I could have gone (probably not too far but who knows). I noticed that Michelle stopped and Ellen was a ways back with her puppy so I stopped too. I won’t say that running is a piece of cake now but I do feel good that I feel like it is clicking for me. 13.1 miles doesn’t seem quite as impossible anymore!

Michelle and Ellen and I are running in the St. Patrick’s Day Dash on Sunday. It should be fun, there will be green costumes for the run and a beer garden at the finish line. It’s not much longer than the route around Greenlake but my big concern – Concrete! The whole route will be on hard surface. I’m going to give it my best shot. Wish me luck, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!