Jogging

I should not be jogging.

After all, I'm out of shape, have two bad knees, and it's August (read: hot).

Once upon a time I was able to jog. As a matter of fact, I did so daily. See, I played soccer for most of my life. Junior year of high school, while I was still on JV, and coincidentally the last year of high school soccer I would play, my coach decided that we WOULD NOT BE OUT OF SHAPE! That thought, which is a good one, considering how much one runs during a soccer game, translated into approximately 4 miles of jogging before a 2-3 hour practice.

Junior year of high school, I was coming off my diagnosis of "severe patellar tendonitis" in my left knee, which was capped by falling down the stairs due to said knee giving out on me and bruising my quad (making it blow up to epic proportions). I still was able to run.

This is because I had a system --- I would run almost the whole lap (we did 6 laps of this trail) but I would also allow myself about 20 seconds to walk on one part of the trail, and I also walked up a small (about 20 feet or so) but steep hill. If I didn't walk up that small but steep hill, it would really hurt my aforementioned knee.

But I would make it. And that was really the last time I engaged in organized jogging.

Now, during college and more recently I would run on the eliptical machine, which was rather good for my bad left knee and, once I injured my right knee during indoor soccer during first semester senior year of college, much to the chagrin of my modern dance professor (but that's a story for another time), good for both knees. But I never really got into running outside again.

Well there was one time in the past year I ran, wearing knee braces on both knees, in my old neighborhood. My husband, who came home and saw me running down the street, didn't know it was me and thought, "That person looks terrible! They should not be running."

So I probably shouldn't be running. But lately I've been jogging. By lately, I mean the last three days. Layla and I have done a quick jaunt around a loop through my apartment complex. I have no idea how far it is, but I doubt it is even a mile. However, I have been jogging. Like high school, I have a system for where I walk (there is a little hill on this run that I definitely walk up), and I do okay. Unless Layla decides to sprint. Or wrap her leash around a telephone poll. Or decide she needs the bathroom. Those sorts of things. It's really good for Layla, who doesn't have the backyard she used to. She needs to get out and get some exercise. Judging from the way she reacts when we tell her we're going on a W-A-L-K, she enjoys it.

And actually, I feel pretty good. Jogging, even for the 15-20 minutes it takes us, has make my muscles ache a little, and that is always kind of a good feeling for a former "athlete." Hopefully, by writing this down, I will be able to continue to jog a couple of times a week. It also might help me get down to fighting weight --- although I'm not really sure what that means. I am much more understanding of getting down to "10th year reunion weight" or perhaps "bridesmaid dress weight." Luckily, I have three summers before my 10th year reunion. If not, I will probably continue to see this entry, embarrassed, as I feel slightly guilty for not living up to the jogging dream. Ah, guilt. I am Catholic, after all.

As for the why of jogging, I'm not sure what has come over me. It could have something to do with my aunt, who, at the age of less-than-60, endured a double bypass operation this week. It could be that I'm bored. Or it could be that the weather has eased out of the low 100s and into the more managable 90s. I just know that the other night I felt like running, and I'm trying to keep that feeling going for as long as possible. At least until I get my student ID and can go swim laps (much healthier for the knees) in the IU pool.

Until then, I will be the slow, limpy-looking one, jogging while the cute black dog barely trots beside me. Try not to run me over as I cross the street. I'm very heavy and might just dent your hood.