Running

The kids ran in their first race last weekend. They were very excited and we lined up, poised to "sprint" to the finish line 1/4 of a mile away. As the MC said "ready, set, go" Hailey and Trevor, took off like white lightning and Anna and I began to not so much sprint as to jog "the most laboriously slow movement and still call it a jog" jog. We ran? for about 10 seconds and Anna looks up at me and says, "okay, that's enough". It reminds me of when I start running again after taking a week, a month, 6 months, 2 days, or whatever length of time off and I think to myself, "alright this time I'm sticking with it. No more excuses, I will work off that third ass". I start running with immaculate posture, chest out, breathing in perfect rhythm with my stride, just as my book on running says and thinking, boy don't I look spiffy. Inevitably what happens is I trip over a crack in the side walk tweeking my ankle (looking like an idiot and nonchalantly looking around to see if anyone saw me), get a cramp, can't breathe anymore, or all of the above. When this happens I start walking, gasping for air, and dripping like a sweaty hog. (I don't know what idiot said "run through the pain", I can understand drink through the pain, sit down until the pain passes, or pop pills until you don't remember the pain, but running through the pain simply does not compute). I justify my abandonment of running by thinking, "Walking is better for your joints anyway, running will destroy your knees, I'll just plan some hikes with friends and hike a really long time to get the same benefits, etc." I wonder where Anna gets it...