I am actually NOT a runner. Never have been. Doug (we’ve been together 14 years) says, “I can’t believe you are actually running.” I dread it before and while I’m doing it. But I *love* the feeling I get when I finish. Weird, huh?

I saw this t-shirt on someone during the race: “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” It has stuck with me since then. I googled it and found the book it came from.

Now I’m trying to track down a copy of “The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running For Your Life” by John Bingham. The library doesn’t have it, and neither does my favorite used book store in town, The Book Broker. So, I might have to just pick up a used copy on eBay (because I *hate* to pay full price on anything, even if I could afford it).

Anyhoo, it’s written by a guy who started running when he was an out of shape, overweight, smoking forty-something. His first “run” was down his driveway because that’s all his body could handle. Now he runs marathons.

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

Take your first step toward fitness and a happier, healthier life.

Has the idea of running crossed your mind, but you haven’t acted on it because you don’t think you have the body of a runner? Have you thought about running but quit before you started because you knew that you would be breathless at the end of your driveway? Well, put aside those fears because you can do it. John Bingham, author of the popular Runner’s World column “The Penguin Chronicles,” transformed himself from an overweight couch potato who smoked into a runner who has completed eleven marathons and hundreds of road races.

Forget about the image of a perfect body in skintight clothes, and don’t worry about how fast or how far you go. Bingham shows how anyone can embrace running as a life-enhancing activity — rather than as a competition you will never win. In an entertaining blend of his own success story and practical advice, Bingham provides reasonable guidelines for establishing a program of achievable goals; offers tips on clothing, running shoes, and other equipment; and explains how anyone can prepare for and run distances ranging from a few miles to marathons.

After all, in running and in life, the difference between success and failure sometimes comes down to a single step. Waddle on, friends.

I need this kind of attitude for running. I’m looking for a little inspiration.

It’s good for me to have concrete goals to work towards. The first two races I have run are part of the five-race Colorado Springs Grand Prix Short Series.

5K on St. Patrick’s Day (March 11)
Garden of the Gods 5K (May 6)
Sailin’ Shoes 5K (June 17)
Grand Prix One Mile Race ( July 1)
Grand Prix Classic 10K (July 29)

It culminates with a 10K run – the jury is still out for me on this one. The idea of running for over an hour daunts me. :bolt: But, I could add it to my list of things to accomplish before I turn 40. And I *could* walk part of it if I got tired. The idea is to just finish it. I have committed to Sailing Shoes. One step at at time.