Everyone is Someone's Gazelle

I hate the treadmill.

Okay, so maybe I don't hate it as much as I used to. Let's just say we don't exactly get along. Having grown up in Alaska, I'm used to running on open trails with beautiful scenery. Compared to that, the treadmill is just so... boring. But the winter months always force me to jump on the dreaded machine. I've always wanted to be a hardcore winter runner- you know, those runners who go out and run 10 miles in -20 degree weather while it's snowing- but the cold air really aggravates my asthma. I constantly feel like I can't get enough air in my lungs, which isn't a very pleasant feeling. So the treadmill and I have learned to put our differences aside between the months of December and February (and that's during a "good winter"- if there is such a thing).

Regardless of my feelings toward the treadmill, it has helped me make some steady progress as of late. Each week, I make mini-goals for myself- like, "I'll run all 3 miles at 6.7 mph," or "I'll run at least 1 mile at 7.0 mph." Yesterday I ran 4 miles in 36:25 (a little bit over 9:00 miles) which is actually pretty fast for me on the treadmill. I always run faster outside than on the treadmill, which I blame on my short legs not being able to keep up with the speed of the belt (although I'm sure it's just a mental thing).

There's a girl who runs at my gym, who I have nicknamed "the gazelle." She usually ends  up running on the treadmill next to me at least once a week. But her running is more like prancing, and she makes 7.5 mph look effortless! She's half inspiring and half irritating. Yesterday my friend Rachael- who just so happens to be the artist of the amazing picture at the top of my blog- was running on the treadmill behind me (unbeknownst to me) and afterwards told me that I was her "gazelle." So I think the lesson here is that everyone is "someone's gazelle," no matter how slow or fast you may seem compared to the person on the treadmill next to you.

One of my co-workers recently passed her CLS (clinical laboratory scientist) certification exam, so last night we celebrated by eating three different varieties of pie. I kept thinking to myself, "Thank God I ran today!"