Run, Forrest, Run

Inspired by my friend Adria and challenged by my sister, I have officially started the Couch to 5K Running Plan. It is designed to enable a non-runner (although historically I've been more of an anti-runner) to gradually build endurance without burning out. I completed the first workout today and promptly called Scott, who was very excited and cheered for me, just like he was supposed to. He loves, loves, loves running and I hope I will learn to love it, too. Saying, "I'm going for a run" has an air of competence and achievement about it. Saying, "I'm going for a walk" just doesn't sound as urgent. If you're "going for a walk," it sounds slightly self-indulgent, as if you might actually end up at a quiet, scenic lake feeding the ducks. I've even tried upgrading it to "I'm going for a power-walk" in an attempt to emphasize the added layer of fitness, but it just seems unnecessarily pretentious. (Which is not at all to say that power-walking is not good, strenuous exercise!) So there you have it: I'm training to run for linguistic reasons.