Let's face it - Cheetara was a badass. Wonderwoman and She-ra were also personal heroes, but there was just something indescribably cool about Cheetara. I have had an extremely awkward relationship with my body since childhood. My utter lack of coordination made gym class less than fun. My parents were kind enough to teach me to play basketball, which I liked and was (miraculously) reasonably good at, but I dropped it once I entered adulthood. I really don't know where my aversion to exercise comes from. It's very mysterious, and annoying. As I have mentioned before, I did stagger and limp my way through a marathon for charity a few years ago. Suffice it to say, I finished, but I was no Cheetara. And my mother had to convince them to keep the finish line open for me, but that's another story.
I would love to be a real runner. Oh, to be confident, fast, and easy in my body. Dedicated. Every runner I meet always seems to be so dedicated to it. It's cool. I would love to have that athletic nonchalance that they just throw around. "What are you doing this weekend?" "Oh, just a half marathon in the Hamptons. It's no big deal. I'm training for the Boston Marathon." Wow. There are multiple things to be jealous of in that sentence. A) Going to the Hamptons B) Being in amazing shape C) Being in such amazing shape that you're a fast enough runner to consider qualifying for Boston. The mind reels!
Anyway, I've been making a little progress on the fitness front. I joined the YMCA, and I've been doing a bit of running (ok, fast walking) on my treadmill. I'm inspired by the whole couch to 5k program. You can read about it here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
I think it will take a about twice as long as they want it to, but slow and steady winds the race, right? Just ask the turtle.
