Week 2, workout ... whatever this is

Weather today was perfect for a run: cool and damp, but not rainy. Just the way I like it. Could've done with less wind, but oh well.

I tried out that "artisan bread in 5 minutes a day" recipe, and told myself I couldn't eat the pretty golden brown ball that came out of the oven until I'd gone for my run. That got me moving, albeit reluctantly. I keep finding that the hardest part of running is getting out the door and surviving the first quarter-mile; after that it usually improves.

Today I got to the park in under 16 minutes, running the whole way except for a minute or so with a stitch in my side. I got back in just 20 minutes, and I ran part of the way back! Total time: 36 minutes. Either I'm getting better at pacing myself, or I'm getting stronger. Probably both. I ran really slow, but the majority of the distance was definitely a run, not a walk. Woohoo.

Also noticing minute improvements in flexibility (yay stretching) and core strength. (Been doing a few pushups, situps and those "Superman" moves that strengthen your back.) Just barely enough that I suspect it's not entirely psychological. I don't look any different, but I think things may be getting more efficient here. Or so I'm convincing myself. Maybe in a couple months I will actually be able to touch my toes without bending my knees. (That sounds easy, until you try it.)

Total distance since day 1: umm ... about 11.9 miles? That sounds so lame, but I must be patient. Keep putting in the time and mileage and the fitness will come.

You can probably also tell that I've been playing with the blog layout and colors. I wanna put some pictures and stuff up and make it look pretty, but this will require some tinkering. I don't have any running-related pictures that are the right size, and I'm not great at HTML code. But I'll work on it.