Anxious vs Eager: Running.

@postaday 255; #postaday2011.

As a writer, a proofreader, and an editor I have built up a little arsenal of pet peeves when it comes to other people’s grammar. I say other people’s, because my husband John reads my daily blog entries and secretly emails me edits. And my editor Lisa Baxa, the publisher of Island Scene magazine, and the perfectionist who scans every word the HMSA Mothership intends to communicate, never misses an error in my copy. I am grateful to them, and others who assist. In other words, I’m not perfect.

So if you’re excited about doing something, you’re EAGER. If something you are about to do fills you with fear, you are ANXIOUS. And let’s not get into apostrophes and possessives today. My gawd. Did Pet’s Discount really mean only one pet gets the discount? Why would anyone think it’s ever OK to write “Do’s and Don’t’s,” when it’s “Dos and Don’ts?” And yes, punctuation marks belong within quote marks.

OK, now that that’s out of my system: About my anxiety and eagerness in regard to running. One of the Twitter accounts I follow, @BradGansberg, has a website that helps people learn to run a 5K in 100 days. Brad says on his site that he had an epiphany when he was a big fat blob on the sofa. We all get to that point, don’t we? I saw a tweet of his yesterday, noted the hashtag #5Kin100days and decided to check it out. So, following instructions, I sent him an email and I’m now drumming my fingers waiting to hear if I am in. And I think I should be because he tweeted today about how he’s looking for more participants. So, BRAD? ALOHA and here I am under your nose and you’re blowing me off.

Either way, if I’m in or not, there are other build-up-to-a 5K running programs. My concern, as many of you know, is the Achilles tendon drama in my life. I was trying to start a running program back in February 2010 when the 45-year-old wound popped apart. The doctor who did my surgery, Dave Mathews, said it broke right on its old scar. I’ll be checking in with my personal doctor to get a green light for my new goal.

When I wear athletic shoes to work on Casual Fridays, my right leg hurts by the end of the day. I put inserts under the heel, but I still get pain. Sometimes I think I would be better off starting a running program in high heels, but then I’d look like a drag queen! LOL.

After a fine personal finish in the Na Wahine Festival: first in my age group in the Swim and Spin, third overall in that event, I thought about how I might do if I could do the 5K that’s part of its triathlon. A year out is a reasonable time to try and see if I could do it.

I follow a lot of bicyclists and triathletes on Twitter, and I am humbled by their accomplishments. Mine are so small compared to theirs. I’m not going to set myself up for huge disappointments by aspiring to be a senior champion, but I am very competitive so I’ll have to work hard at not disappointing myself.

I’ll be walking a lot before I break into a slow jog. At this point, I wonder if I’ll ever run. And if  you see me out there crawling, literally crawling on my hands and knees, or fallen, please help. Part of me thinks that it might pop again. I think that with every step I take. I thought that as I struggled to get out of the water last Sunday at the Na Wahine to get quickly to my bike across the beach and across the road and into Kapiolani Park. It’s not that I don’t trust the surgeon or the surgery. I just don’t trust my own body.