It appears that March has blew right past me and suddenly April is here. Not sure how that happened, but I’m not happy about it. Before I know it May will be here and our life gets even busier with foster care/adoption training 3 days a week. I don’t even feel remotely ready. I mean, I’m emotionally ready (to be a mom, I mean – I’ve resigned myself to the idea that I’ll never be emotionally ready for the whole up-and-down process that is the homestudy, placement, etc). But the house? Yeah…. we need to work on that.

Saturday morning it was a chilly 37 degrees, a drastic change from our near summer-like temperatures. I needed to complete my 3rd run for the week, the very last day of week 2 of the Couch to 5k program. I was hesitant as I put on a pair of black leggings, a tshirt, and a sweatshirt. I’ve never run outdoors in that cold of weather, nor have I run outdoors in my own neighborhood. It didn’t seem like it should be hard, but memories of high school gym class flooded my memory. Those cold mornings when we were outside in shorts and a light tshirt freezing our asses off… That harsh bite of the cold air in our lungs. I was smart to grab a wool hat I knit last year. I was mismatched completely – not at all like the other women I see run by our house in their matching pants and jackets. But, as it turns out, I was warm. Especially once I really got moving.

There’s a beautiful thing about a morning run in the neighborhood. The streets are quiet save for a few residents here and there already out and about. Things look prettier under the gray haze of morning. And there’s something very satisfying about being up so early and out for a run while others are just getting going.  I don’t know why I waited so long to take a run through my neighborhood, but I promise I’ll be doing it more often.

When I finally arrived home I was tired and sore and found it hard to climb steps (helloooo, shin splints!), but overwhelmingly proud of myself. I’ve tried the C25k program probably 5 times in my adult life, and every time I’ve never made it very far. I’ve either never stuck with it and really wholeheartedly committed to it, or I had injuries that prevented me from continuing. And if it weren’t for my new shoes I’d probably be in injury hell. But here I am, the first day of April, looking toward week 3. A big milestone, to be sure!