Quick status update (for Sarah and others). Last week I ran two miles for three days out of seven. My high time was 28:45 and my low time was 25:36. I wasn't able to get through the full two mile without stopping. I felt pretty inadequate about it because I have never not been able to do something. Even when I up and started running cross country for school, I could run the full two miles right off the bat. So I went to one of my favorite cross country runners, Grace. She is Sherry's 14 year old daughter who is an athlete of monumental proportions. She said that it took her about a week before she could run the full two miles. This was even after being at soccer and basketball camps during the summer and some outside basketball conditioning. She is tall and thin and has about five percent body fat, maybe six during the summer. She says don't worry about walking. She did say that try to run even if the run is slower than it would be if you walked. She said it conditions your body correctly. Okay, I say.

So today, I ran again. I ran the first mile at 12:38 with no walking and ran until about the half mile mark on the second mile. That is where the "wiltshire" hill starts straight up for about a quarter of a mile. It is very painful--literally. I got a stitch in my side that almost made me stop, but Grace told me how to work that out too so I kept going. I had a slow time today, but I ran further than I've ever run so far. I figure if it takes a gal who is in shape a week to run a full two miles, it will probably take me a month. That is my goal. In a month, two miles, no stopping.