Today I ran my first mile: the whole mile. Running without stopping.

This is a huge achievement for me, so I wanted to post about it. I am a terrible overpronator and for years I was in pain due to my bad knees. I have cartilage degeneration in my knees, and I've been wearing orthotics for 15 years. After watching me run, and hearing my knees crunch and grind, even my husband (a runner) has said that I just wansn't meant to run.

I guess because I'm not "supposed" to, I suddenly wanted to. This year I decided my goal would be to run a mile, without stopping. No marathons, not even a 5k. I just wanted to run a mile. In my mind, I couldn't call myself a "runner" until I could run a mile without stopping.

So I started by walking on a hill routine with varying degrees of incline (to get my heart rate up), every day for a couple of months. Then I started jogging lightly (no incline) - 2 minutes run/2 walk. Then my knees went downhill just 2 weeks into my new running program, in spite of my great pains to not overdo it, only running a few minutes every other day, and inside on a treadmill (softer), etc.

I had to give up exercising after a bicycle accident, and during a trip, and fortunately that break healed my knees up. I went to a sports chiropractor who actually suggested the oddest thing "What if you try running without your orthotics?" His theory was that the orthotics, while stiffening my foot, weren't allowing my feet to absorb the impact, and instead the impact was traveling up to my knees.

It seemed unorthodox, but wearing orthotics for 15 years wasn't getting me anywhere so I gave it a try. What's the worst that could happen? Knee pain? Been there. Done that.

I started off walking again. And then 2 minutes run/2 minutes walk intervals.

But then something strange happened 2 or 3 days into my little run/walk intervals. I noticed when I was running that it felt ... Normal? Natural? What was this feeling I'd never felt before? I felt in control. I didn't feel like I was moving bricks over the treadmill. I didn't feel like I was going to fall off at any moment. I could even watch the televisions, whereas before I had to focus on one spot in front of me to keep my balance.

Within a week I decided I'd run just as long as I felt I could. I went for 10 minutes straight, but at a 12 minute mile, it wasn't quite a mile. That was Monday. Then this morning I decided to just go for it. I ran, and kept running, and ran past 2 minutes, on to 5 minutes, then 8, then 12. I RAN A MILE!!!

And my knees? They just keep feeling great. Sure, they still crunch but they don't hurt. I asked my chiropractor why taking out the orthotics seemed to help so much and he theorizes that the muscles and nerves on my foot, while pronating when I run, to be sure, serve to balance my entire body from the bottom up, absorbing the shock and being flexible enough to minimize the effort that it takes to run. Running in orthotics definitely was requiring a lot more effort out of me, I just couldn't go longer than 2 or 3 minutes in the orthotics without running on empty.

So the stupid grin on my face today is because I finally did something I have never done in my whole life. And not only do I feel like I can now call myself a "runner" (albeit a slow one) but the mere "fact" of a mile, rather than the "possibility" of running a mile opens up new goals that I never had before today:

• If I can run one, surely I can run two. And then three, and then I could run in a 5k! Maybe even get a t-shirt!:)
• If I can run a 5k then with a little effort, a 10k can't be far behind. Especially if I do a run/walk.
• After 10k... Half marathon maybe?

I'm still not up to "marathon" yet. I'm not even sure I want that. I'd rather work on cycling in a Century ride, and use running as a cross-training tool. But just to have the possibility open to consider is crazy wonderful to me.

I just wanted to brag! Yaaay! I know it sounds silly, but it's huge to me.