Running and I have always had a complicated relationship. As a child, it was fun and mindless. I didn’t time it or count laps. I also didn’t do it a lot. My lungs are my weakest part, and wheezing often cut things short. As I got older and more involved in sports, I simultaneously felt silly with relief that I opted not to do track or cross-country, yet increasingly certain that running was a necessity for peak health. With several relatives who are suffering the consequences of a younger running habit, I know this is not the case. Running can be bad in several ways. And yet I’ve never shaken my indistinct sense that I should probably make a serious attempt to run a bit.

That brings us to lately. M saw a friend of ours posting on Twitter about a new running app she was trying, he downloaded it, and he mentioned it to me. I thought, good for you, love, but had zero intention of trying it myself. As I said, I don’t really run.

But when I came home out of sorts and irritated by a crowded commute last night, there was only one thing I wanted to do. And much to his surprise, M found himself with running shoes on, apps synchronized, heading for the reservoir. And we did a whole hour of the couch-to-10k workout. It may only be six total minutes of running, but that’s six minutes more than I’ve done in years. And you know what? It felt good.

We have a running date for Wednesday.