(re)Starting Small

I used to be a runner. Or least I jogged avidly. Then I started to hate it. Three years ago, I gave it up. Cold turkey.

But running has a couple big things going for it:

1. It's cheap. (No gym membership. No equipment. Just shoes.)
2. It's fast. (You can burn more calories per minute than most other exercises.)

In other words, if you like saving time and money like I do, it's a hard deal to beat. So I was psyched last week when I spotted a piece of time to go running.

1. Mornings? Nope. My 15 month old daughter seems to wake up at a different time every morning. There's just not enough of a routine to count on. Also, I enjoy that time with her. Finally, if she does sleep in - I want to too!
2. Lunchtime? Nope. No showers at my work, and plenty of lunchtime meetings.
3. Nighttime? You're joking right? Bedtime also varies and has been known to be exhausting. I just want to chill with my hubby in the evenings.
4. Afternoon? Weeeeelllll .... It never occurred to me till last week. I like to go pick the little one up at school as soon as I can. But, then I remembered running really doesn't have to take that long. You don't have to run long distances like I used to. Aha! I could take a quick run after work before picking her up!

Just one problem. It's June. In Florida. Afternoons are blisteringly hot. Well, I am nothing if not stubborn, so away I went! But I took some precautions:

1. I started small. Just 20 minutes today, including a few minutes warm-up and cool-down. (and, yes, even a 2 minute break in the middle!)
2. I stayed hydrated. I drank 48 ounces of water during the day and had 24 waiting in the car for the drive home. I also had a snack at the ready.

I didn't love it. I didn't quite hate it either. I plan to try it again. Next time, I need my running hat and some music - it can be bright and boring out there.