Day One Run

Alarm went off at 5. Hit snooze. Got up before it went off again. Rolled out of bed and didn't feel too bad, actually. The soreness from yardwork on Saturday was gone, though I had a slight headache. Screw it. I got dressed, laced up the Nikes, went out the front door and locked it behind me.

It was kind of chilly, 51 degrees, and I walked for two and half minutes to warm up. As I ran, I tried to focus on the only stride tip I'm familiar with: Don't land on your heels. Try to hit at mid-foot and make your stride a little shorter. I sure felt like I was moving faster than I had when I ran a few weeks ago, but I was also moving more efficiently. I went further and with less effort, it seemed.

I ran about 2.5 miles in 27 minutes, 36 seconds. I encountered no other runners, bikers or walkers, which kind of surprised me. One dog rushed the fence as I ran on the crushed granite trail behind some houses in Behrens Ranch.

And it felt good. I could have gone further, but figured it was best not too push it. As I write this at night, I'm glad -- I'm feeling a little sore in my hips.

I did a 16-minute ab workout (thank you Tony Horton and P90X) when I got back to the house. At lunch, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical.

OK, now, should I recount the songs I listened to on the Nano? Naturally, I think you'll be impressed with my superior tuneage. Then I realized a Journey song snuck in there somehow. So we'll settle on some highlights. I created an exercise playlist and set it random. First song was Radiohead, by the Talking Heads. Key lyric: "Transmitter, picking up something good ... it's a brand new world." What a great way to start. The Ramones' Rock and Roll Radio charged me up mid-run. And I confess, yes, enjoying Steven Perry's nasal-y tenor on Any Way You Want It. Last song was Fleetwood Mac classic Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow. What a great way to finish. The music definitely helps.

So Day One is in the books. It's a start. A good one, it seems. I'll try not to be so blow-by-blow in future posts. It's boring me, too.

But I'm excited to have taken a solid first step on this Run.