Well, I didn't "run", I jogged ... slowly.
But it was hands down the best 20 minutes I have had in the past year.
The day was all blue skies and I thought "I'll just take Harley out for a little hike."
Then, as I tied up my running shoes, something I haven't done with any serious intention for the better part of a year, I thought "well, maybe I can try to run."
I had zero expectations.
If anything, I was expecting to jog for 2 minutes or so and then walk the rest of the way.
We drove to the UBC trails.
At the head of the trail, I took a deep breath, let it out loudly, and said to Harley and to the skies "well, here goes nothing".
And then, like Forrest Gump, "I was runnnnnnning!"
It was slow.
Maybe a 7-7.5min/km pace.
BUt it felt good.
And the longer I went, the better I felt.
And suddenly 1 minute turned into 2 and 2 in to 10 and 10 into 20.
For 20 minutes, I jogged around the trails without a single pang in my back or a hint of numbness in my leg.
My knees were a little pissed off, but that's 'cause I've spent the last year getting chubby and I think they were revolting from the shock of it all. But that too passed.
I could have gone longer but thought that the victory was too mighty to risk jeopardizing.
So I slowed it to a walk.
And I started to laugh.
Like a crazy woman.
Then cry.
And when I got back to the car I called M and bawled my eyes out in the most awesomely happy and elated way.
"This is the beginning," he said.
And for the first time in a year of him showering me with phrases of optimism, I believed him.
Best day ever.
BEST.
