Run Rickey Run

Last week, I joined the New York Road Runners! For 10 weeks every Thursday, I will be running in Central Park in the absolute beginner's class. I've been meaning to do this for months and I finally did it.

The session started with stretching, and then we walked to the park hand-in-hand . Our instructors encouraged us to make friends and be social, which was kinda daunting for me since 95% of the group were women who easily bonded with each other. There was like 40 of them. Honestly, I believe I had a Sanjaya-moment -- I was engulfed in estrogen. I felt like I knew women like Sanjaya does: hmmm, so this is probably how he feels... Anyway, maybe next week, I will have a better go at it -- you know, like ask for names in mid-stride.

The class ran for a total of 7 minutes: 1 minute running, then 2 minutes walking, repeated 7 times. I thought it might be too easy for me, but I ended up sweating and getting a workout. I have not exercised for more than a year, so it was probably smart to start slow. We were given homework to do this at least 3 more times before the next class, then afterwards, more stretching.

Hopefully, I can make the most of these 10 weeks. I have this notion that running helps trim belly fat -- you know, because I have this distorted body image -- but I'm not putting up any expectations. I'll just enjoy myself in the company of strangers.