Running isn't the only thing I'm learning

I've got my first race, a 5k, coming up in about 2 weeks. I haven't been running long & I'm both scared and excited. My original goal was to run the entire race without stopping to walk. I've been following the Couch to 5k training program at Cool Running, but I'm not going to be finished by the time race day rolls around. Not to mention the fact that I run so slowly, it'll take me around 45 minutes to finish.

What I'm learning from running, is to persevere. I'm learning that my limits are more mental than physical. I'm learning that if I focus on the task at hand I can outperform myself everytime. I'm learning to be a doer, not a watcher, and to never give up.

I've been doing the Couch to 5k training program put out by CoolRunnings.com I'm only on Week 2, & Boy, can I feel it! Week 2 consists of alternating 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking. This is harder than it sounds! In the beginning I didn't know if I could do it. Now I'm realizing that my limits are mostly ones that I created myself.

Garmin, Garmin, where art thou?

You wouldn't think it would be so hard to find the Garmin GPS with heart rate monitor I've been drooling over these past few months. I set out tonight to find one locally, after pricing them online. Little did I know it would be a two hour venture!

First I visited Sportsmans Warehouse. They did have last year's model, but not the updated version that came out several months ago. I drove across town to Sports Authority, a sporting goods store, but they only had automobile GPS systems. Then I tried CompUSA, Best Buy, and 2 more sporting goods stores before giving up.

The one running store in the valley had long closed by this time, so I gave up and headed home. I really wanted to try the GPS heart rate monitor on before buying, but it looks like I'll be shopping at Amazon again tonight instead.

The case of the missing iPod.

So, my iPod has gone missing. It can't have felt unloved, because I use it almost daily. I'm not embarrassed to take it out in public, not at all. I use my red nano every time I go running, which is almost daily. I lovingly store it in my Nike+ armband so it won't get scratched. I upload my running data the minute I walk in the door from my run. In fact the only places my iPod ever goes are in my gym bag or hooked up to the laptop. So how can it possibly have disappeared? Dear iPod nano, please come home. I miss you so much that I'm thinking of pulling out the video iPod and making its acquaintance again.