The first couple minutes are the most difficult

For the first time since probably 2002, I ran around my neighborhood, which is actually hillier than my normal route near my kid's school. Unlike that route, this run started off pretty flat. And, yet, from the get-go, I still felt as if I was not going to be able to run more than a few minutes.

I blame the heat, mostly. It was a hot 75 degrees at just after 10 this morning. Although it did not feel super humid, the sun was beating down. But I think age has something to do with the challenge. When I was training to run the Steelers 5k in 2006, I ran once a week for about six weeks. That was all I needed to do, at age 34 1/2, to get ready for that race. I don't recall feeling a drop off from week to week, and I did just fine in that race, finishing in just under 30 minutes.

But now that I am four years older, each run seems a little challenging. To be fair, I did not run at all last week, so I probably lost a little fitness. Although the bench stepping was quite difficult and a pretty good workout, it was not the same as running for at least 30 minutes non stop up and down hills.

To my credit, I do keep going. Since I started running again about 10 months ago, I have never stopped, at least not that I recall, without running at least two miles. Today, I ended up stopping at probably a little more than that, because the hill was just too much for me. So twice up that hill, I walked for at least 30 seconds. Sometime this week, I will drive the route I ran to see how much distance I covered. I am guessing about 2.5 miles. Since it took me almost 30 minutes, I will be pretty disappointed if it is not at least that, though I do have to consider the minute-plus of walking plus bigger, longer hills.

I guess I just need to keep at it.