A couple of days ago I went for my first run in a long, LONG time. The log from my Garmin tells me my last run was in early January, so that means it’s been nearly 7 months since I’ve done much more than walk for exercise.

Overall, it went well!  I was able to run for about 3/4 of a mile before it started to feel uncomfortable.  I pushed myself to get to the one mile mark before slowing to a walk.  I then walked/ran the next two miles before returning home.

My plan to return to running is going to go much the same way I got started back in 2005, and is what I still suggest to anyone who asks me how to get started running today.  Run some, walk some, and then run some more.  Over the course of days and weeks, you’ll slowly increase the amount of time you spend running and decrease the amount of time you spending walking.  If you stick with it, you should come to find that you can run without having to walk at all anymore and might even learn to love it.

(And even if all you ever do is run/walk/run, that’s cool too!  Jeff Galloway says so.)

But you’re not allowed to place any judgement on yourself with how long it takes or how much running or walking you do!  Start slow so you don’t get injured, be patient and trust that it will happen.  The Couch to 5K program is similar and is great if you’re looking for something more concrete to help you along your way.

This morning’s exercise was just a walk though, a 45 minute trek through my neighborhood streets while Kaz took his morning nap and I listened to my new favorite podcast, This American Life.

This is actually the real reason for this post, I have come to LOVE This American Life and want to spread the word!  I had a couple of friends recommend it to me and they both separately described it with a shrug and said “it’s just stories”.  Stories about life in America, sort of… but it’s so much more than that.  Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, some are intriguing, but they are all good!

After listening for a couple of months now I am completely hooked.  I look forward to listening to these each week and it’s a great motivator to get out the door knowing I’ve got something fun to listen to while I’m out.  It makes the time fly by and it’s fun to get lost in these tales that are so completely different from week to week.

Any other This American Life listeners out there?  You can subscribe to the podcast for free or maybe find it on a local radio station.  Check it out if you’re looking for something new to listen to while your out cruising the streets, either in your sneakers, in your car or from behind a stroller.