Today was Day #2 of my running comeback.  

My goal was to run a half mile without stopping.  I measure all my runs in distance, not time, but my physical therapist wants me to run just in time increments.  Her recommendation was for me to run for five minutes. 

My goal was a half mile.

In the end, it was basically the same thing.  

I am fortunate in that we have a local track that is still open.  This is where I hope to get my runs in.  This was where the comeback started two days ago with my son Ethan.

Today I ran in the evening on a chilly and rainy day.  For the most part, except for a family that left as I arrived and a kid doing some stretching and running on his own, the place was deserted.  For part of the time, I was all alone in the big complex.  It was a strange and somewhat lonely feeling.

The world has certainly changed.

So much.

After walking the length of the football field and then walking and very slowly jogging back (alternating every ten yards), I was ready to begin my run.

I remembered the advice from my physical therapist…run slowly.  “Take it slowly.”  And that’s what I did. 

In the soft rain, with clouds covering the light gray sky, in a sports complex, now empty, save for me, I slowly circled the track once and then circled it again.  In the pocket of my light coat was my phone with stopwatch setting on counting the minutes.  It was one easy lap, and then two.  And then I was done.

5:12 was the time, I believe.  I was told to run for five minutes.  I did just that.  I wanted to cover a half mile.  I also did that. 

I ran at 10:24 mile pace which isn’t great…

It’s FANTASTIC!

I am a runner who had surgery to repair tears in my Achilles just 86 days ago.  In my second time out on the track, I covered a half mile without stopping.

Success is measured in strides.  It’s one step at a time.  Each small increment is a step forward.  Each small distance is a milestone.

I won’t run tomorrow.  I’m taking this slowly.  On Sunday, I see if I can do it again.  The goal will be six minutes or the way my running brain works .60 miles.

I’ll get there. 

And then, step-by-step, and day-by-day, one run at a time, in 211 days, and after a long build-up, I plan to run the New York City Marathon.