Jill’s Jog Blog 1 – Only the Beginning

I used to live in New York City.  As if you didn’t know, I AM A NEW YORKER!  No matter that I currently reside in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, also known as H.  That’s the middle of nowhere.  Anyway, every year just after standing along the marathon route in Central Park the first weekend of November I would vow to take up jogging.

The following week I would go out and run the lower loop in Central Park working up in my psyche how I would continue this regime for weeks and months to come, possibly training long and hard enough to actually run the New York City Marathon the following November.  Alas, by early December, the jogging would invariably cease, abated by cold weather, large holiday crowds or simply lack of discipline or ambition.

The years have past and it has become clear that running a marathon has become  slashed off my life’s “to do”list.  It’s just far too ambitious of a goal, and hey, if I leave this world having not run, but only watched,  the New York City Marathon, in person, I am really O.K. with it.

So, in the last few years, I have revived my “jogging” goals.  See, you really can’t call it “running” when most hikers and fast walkers pass me by.  Anyway, a few years back I revised my goal and decided I would strive to run a 5K.  Sounds easy (yeah, if you’re still in your 20’s) but really I am proud to say that last fall I ran my first official 5K right here in Steamboat.

It was the “Girls on the Run” 5K that took place in early November (right around the time of the New York City Marathon, how apropos.)  I must however, give all credit to my new puppy Luna (Lovely Luna Lovegood is her “real” AKC name”).  It was the incessant walking and hiking I did with her all last spring and summer that really prepared me for the 5K and allowed me to “run” it without pause.  It was that puppy training and Pandora’s Broadway channel that got me thru it.

I was not fast, I was not graceful, but I did jog the whole way, and did not stop until I got to the finish line.

With that major accomplishment under my belt, and with my 40-something belt expanding, I decided last week, now that the snow is finally gone, that I should begin training again for another 5K.  Perhaps the same one and perhaps this year I can get my daughter to train with me.  You see “Girls on the Run” is an elementary school aged girls running program, but I ran even though my daughter did not participate in that program.  All the “other” moms ran with their daughters.  I ran with Patty Lupone and Idina Menzel (also New Yorkers and no less,  both from Long Island, thank you very much).

So just last week, as the snow finally ceased and the sun began to shine, I took to Steamboat’s Core Trail.  I made it about 3/4 of a mile and walked the rest of the way.  It was a good first week and I swear, I can see a bit of my ribs starting to show again.  So here’s and cheer’s to a good first week.  My goals of ten pounds and two 5K’s by the end of the year have been set.

If you see me out and about either on the Core Trail, or on the Spring Creek Trail, I will be happy if you shout out “go Jill”.  You will know it’s me because my most trusted jogging companion will be by my side.  The Lovely Luna Lovegood.