I'm Running (?)

I have never been what you would call athletic. Sure, I played three sports in high school, but anything that required endurance - running or swimming long distances - was my worst nightmare. On the softball team, I could make it around the bases, but that was about it. On the swim team, I eventually switched over to diving, because even the shortest races were usually too long for me.

But now, I'm going to run in a race. A real, organized race. Why?

Professor Shaiko, who is the program director for the Government FSP (foreign study program) here in Washington D.C., is an avid runner. He runs a couple miles a day, every day, and he's my father's age. He runs in races practically every weekend, and he smokes all the other competitors. We like to tease him, but mostly, we're just in awe of him.

When Professor Shaiko brought up the idea of doing the Capitol Hill Classic as a group, I laughed. The idea of running more than the distance from the couch to the fridge wasn't something I wanted to entertain. But as I thought about it more, I decided that I might be able to do the 3K run (about 1.8 miles). As more of the students on my trip agreed to run, I made the decision to join them.

Of course, I'll have to keep up with Professor Shaiko, as well as a varsity basketball player, and a guy who played for the varsity baseball team his freshman year. Not to mention the fact that the last time I ran a mile was in high school, and it certainly wasn't by choice.

But I think that, after six weeks of being in close quarters with the group, we've become good enough friends to push (or drag) each other over the finish line. Wish me luck - I'll definitely need it!