AHAHAHAHAHA. Not that one. I haven’t even been on  a plane since early 2011.

(Weird.)

No, I picked this title merely to note that I ran while visiting Graham’s parents at 5,000 goddamn feet above sea level, where breathing doesn’t work. Well, it doesn’t work the same, anyway.

(Which is why older folks with 30+ years of non-smoker status under their belts can still get diagnosed with emphysema up there. If they just moved closer to sea level, they wouldn’t need oxygen tanks.)

Anyway. I ran. I walked a few steps a couple of times when I got ahead of myself and started going too fast (I have this problem when I step off the treadmill, and doing so at altitude is folly), but for the most part, I ran.

I ran because it was Saturday, and Saturday is a Running Day. If I didn’t think it would break my body at this point, I would make ALL THE DAYS Running Days. Right now, I rest on Wednesdays and Sundays…and tap my foot until I can run the next day.

I ran because “Mile High” also refers to my general mood when I’m running regularly (hormonal swings notwithstanding). The endorphins, they are mighty, my friends. It took me all of three days to go from “I’ll take it easy and start slow, but I really need to be running again” to “IMMA RUN WHERE I CAN’T EVEN BREATHE, BITCHEZ. FULL ON!!!eleventy!!!!1!”

Because that’s what happens. You get started, and you keep going, and all of a sudden, “Running to Live Well” becomes “Googling the Oakland Half.” (It’s in March. In case you’re wondering.)

And you’re not alone. The majority of the blogs for which running is a core topic seem to be written by people who went from zero to 26.2, tout de suite, and run a race every month. Just try looking for inspiration without also finding out how to train for an ultramarathon…while eating vegan, holding down a full-time job, and doing pilates with your kids every other day. JUST TRY.

I mean, seriously, what is it about Being A Runner that makes one consider leaping tall buildings and stuff?

So, I’ve run before. I’ve even done a 5K…badly, but I did it.

This time is a little different:

• I’m running on consecutive days instead of every other day, which is frowned upon by my first running guru, Doctor Mama, the blogalicious runner/doctor who hit the right chord for me exactly when I needed it. I do take rest days, though.
• I’m still running slowly, but I’m faster than I was, even at my peak in 2010.
• I remain super-diligent about the sports bras, because ow. I’m about ready to swear by Moving Comfort’s Fiona bra, which I’m loving, but loving it too much will require me to buy EVEN MORE GEAR. (Anyone who tells you running is a “free” activity is a dirty rotten liar. “Running” may be cheap, but “Running without Pain/Injury/Chafing/Extreme Anxiety re: Bouncing Boobs” is not.)
• Lady Gaga used to be the boss of my running soundtrack. These days, the most effective song in my playlist is “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys: (AND I LOST MY LEG). It makes me want to kick up my heels in some kind of steel-toed jig…or just beat the shit out of somebody (thanks, Scorsese!). So running is probably the safest option.
• I’m alternating shoes. I’m not that high-mileage a runner, but I weigh more than you think and my feet take a pounding.

Y’all? I’ve run about 65 miles since I started up again. That’s kind of a lot for me, and it feels pretty good.