Not that I'm a Runner, Really

I enjoy running, I enjoy the zen that comes after 3 miles when you just go and are no longer only thinking about your aching shins, or ankles, or knees...I just can't do it on the treadmill. I don't get the zen when I'm thumping along on the road to nowhere, creepy men stopping by the window watching, other treadmill runners continuously checking my progress. Uck. I've been doing it, but not enjoying it. I go to 2 spinning classes a week at the YMCA and that's fun (I have NEVER gotten that good of a workout on my roadbike outside), I like lifting weights in the weight room upstairs at the Y too.

Point is, this evening I'm going on my first outdoor run of the season (I freakin' better seeing as how I'm running the Bolder Boulder 10k Memorial Day weekend), followed by a little tennis practice with Matel. We've been going to the UNL courts on 17th and Vine. They're nice, well-lit and there are lots of people playing that we can watch and learn a little something from. Or, more gratifying, the other suckers playing that are worse off than us.

We didn't go to a lesson last Saturday because our instructor was in Kansas City doing something. During our second lesson he couldn't believe how much better we'd gotten over 1 week. "Have you guys been practicing" "No Dave, we haven't" "Well, wow! Good work!"
Though, it's one thing to practice with Dave hitting hundreds of balls at you for an hour and constantly praising and whatnot...it's a fish of a different color to practice just the two of us and 6 balls. Exhausting, to say the least. Maybe, tonight we'll actually succeed in volleying more than 3 times.

Wow, this is getting very long, so I'll save my little gardening talk for the next entry (which will be sooner than last time--I didn't mean to get behind). Also, I promise more photos next time...I'm not used to carrying my camera around. Should be, but am not.

Wish me luck on the outdoor run (I can do 4.5 easily on the treadmill, so I figure that translates to 2 or 3 in the great outdoors)! Happy Earth Day everyone!

Hannah