Neverdone #2 :: Running with the devil

I can't prove it. But after careful consideration of all the possibilities, I've concluded that I must be possessed by a sadistic devil.

Maybe it's the ghost of someone who has recently passed away, someone I was mean to in my younger days. I was a pretty sweet kid until I hit my early teens....I wish I'd known back then that my rebellious, selfish little 13-year-old attitude might one day create some pretty dire consequences. Or maybe it's someone I knew in college, back when I was so intent on pursuing my newfound freedoms that I didn't notice I'd injured someone's feelings quite badly. Or maybe it's not personal after all....maybe it's just a mischievous entity that came across my deviant, slothful soul completely at random.

How do I know I'm possessed?

It's Saturday. The one morning of the week I cherish as my relaxation time. For a few tranquil hours, I sit on my blue couch while sipping freshly brewed coffee, cuddling with my cats, surfing aimlessly on my laptop, and watching TV shows I'd DVR'd throughout the week. If I feel particularly productive, I might blog some sort of nonsense. I protect this time. I decompress from the energies of the previous week. I "meditate" through mindless, stress-free, brain-resting, low-key activity.

But last week, I did something that will effectively end my blissful ritual throughout the entire springtime. It'll force me out of my happy, comfortable home at a freakin' obscene hour every single Saturday morning for the next 12 weeks. I will roll out of bed before 7am... slide into, ahem, *athletic* clothes... skulk, bleary-eyed, into my car... and drive 20 minutes across town to have someone chase me up and down the streets of Greenville at, I'm guessing, 5-7mph.

I signed up for a group running program.

I would never do this of my own free will. My weekends have always, always been about sleeping as late as possible and putting out only enough effort to get me through whatever idle amusements may strike my lazy-ass fancy. To get up and get dressed and leave the house before 8am when I don't *have* to? Not possible! To go through all that in order to do something NOT gratifying in an immediately pleasure-inducing way?? I must be possessed!

I know the running is good for me. So perhaps I won't seek an exorcist, allowing the devil to stay warm and snug within me. Maybe the vile little thing will create some other sort of havoc, too, to keep me entertained in the coming months. You know how I hate to be bored.

Hey, now I've got a devil AND a pixie! Awesome.

Anyway.....

This morning was our first run, in a cool, sprinkling rain which, by the time we were done, had my hands numb (why did I leave my gloves in the car?) and my hair soaked. To my surprise, I performed pretty well, but I'm not expecting that to last. Within a few weeks, I'm sure my cardiovascular system will suffer in ways I haven't experienced since basketball practice in high school. But, if I'm successful in the program, it'll lead to another neverdone -- my first 5K!

We'll see how it pans out.


( Don't know what a 'neverdone' is? Click here >> * )