Can you believe it, I went running! =D

So tonight I was supposed to meet my WW walking group but it was raining all day. But it got to be just before the time we're supposed to meet and the skies cleared up so I decided to go ahead and go to the park just in case anyone showed up.

Well, they didn't.

But I decided to go for a run anyways.

I haven't been running in quite a while mainly because I'm afraid I'm going to further injure my knee if I do. I know sometimes you're supposed to push through the pain, but I don't want to risk permanent damage so I've been doing everything else except running.

So I headed out on the trail. I love this trail because it looks like I'm going through a jungle. There are tall trees canopying on both sides of the trail with thick bushes of palm trees and other tropical looking bushes.

I decided to just run real slow and see how the knee did. It did great.

So I went up and over the main overpass (a foot bridge built over a major highway), huffing and puffing, mind you. Was real steep. Then as I came down the other side I told myself I wouldn't stop running until I reached the smaller creek foot bridge. But then when I got to the creek, I was feeling great. My knee wasn't hurting at all. So I decided to pick up the speed and run full out to the next bend in the trail. Was probably a quarter of a mile.

I did it! No pain. Yipee! So then I walked to cool down a bit and catch my breath. Walked for about another half mile then turned around and started running back. Knee still doing great.

I got back to the creek and realized it was about 10 minutes until 8 and the park closes as sunset, which is at 8:09. I was probably a half hour from the park. And that's if I ran the whole way back.

So I picked up the pace a bit. Knee still doing fine.

8:04 and I'm still not at the park. I'm thinking, crap, what if I get there and the gates are closed and my car is stuck there. I sure hope there's someone I can call to come and let me out.

Darn it, my knee starts hurting.

8:06. Still not at the park. Now I'm thinking, well, David is going to have to come pick me up because I know there's now way I can make it back to the park in 3 minutes, I'd just passed over the big foot bridge that crosses over the highway.

Now, coming down the other side of the foot bridge my knee is really hurting so I have to start walking. So I speed walk. You know how I HATE speed walking. I feel so darn silly. But I had to make it back in a hurry. No time to walk regular pace.

8:09. I still can't even see the park. I look up, though, and there's this beautiful sunset. The sky turned a bright blue and these beautiful salmon colored rays were streaking across the misty white clouds. Man it was beautiful.

8:12. I finally make it to the park. THE GATES WERE OPEN!!! Yay!!!

Whew! Major catastrophe averted.

I'm guessing it was between 3 and 4 miles. Who knows how far because MapMyRun doesn't even show a trail through the woods.

I'm bummed my knee started hurting again. You know I've never had a problem with my knee or any other part of my body before. I wish I knew why it was doing that. I know, I need a pair of good shoes. When I can afford them, I'm definitely getting them. Until then, I'll keep running short distances and for the long distances I'll stick to biking or speed walking. Better than nothing, right.

My next challenge is how to avoid the donuts that are sitting in on my kitchen counter. Hubby brought them "home for me". They had a buy one get one free sale and he wanted a box so he got me the free box.

He's taking both boxes in to work with him tomorrow. But those donuts have to live in this house with me until then. I don't think they stand a chance.