10 km

Every time I think about going for a run I think, "No. I don't even want to go outside right now. It's cold, and windy, and I'm tired."

But then I put on my shoes and pop in my contacts and throw on a hoodie and go and I think, "Holy Crap, this is worse than I thought: it's REALLY windy and my feet hurt. Why am I doing this, it sucks."

But then after about 10 minutes of griping I inevitably start to feel okay because I get into a rhythm, and warm up and I notice things like birds and other elements of nature that people write epic poems about, and I start to feel good. And then, almost always, that feeling rises to a crescendo that honestly makes me want to weep with joy and I feel gratitude wash over me, and it's awesome.

Not always, of course. Sometimes running only feels good once it stops. But most of the time I feel on top of the world.

Still, it doesn't hurt to have a concrete goal to work towards just in case that motivation is forgotten and I go off track. So today I registered for the Abbotsford Run for Water 10 km, May 30. The last time I ran more than 7 km km was in 2007, when I did the Sun Run. I think my time was 1:13 but I had to stop and wait in a port-a-potty lineup, so I think I can shave about five minutes off that time and say I did it in 1:08.

My goal is to run the 10 km next month in under one hour. Today I ran for 40 minutes (probably about 6 km) and enjoyed the endorphins or whatever else causes what I can only assume is my experience of "runner's high," so I think that goal is reasonable. It's always easier to run faster during a race than at normal training speed, anyway.

Bring it on.