3.5 Miles

This morning I find myself coordinating a multi-office corporate run. Ironic since I'm not a runner and haven't run a mile since high school. But I'm really excited and now I'm starting to toy with the idea of participating. Am I crazy?

Here's my thinking.
1. Everyone assumes I already am a runner since I'm skinnyish.
2. It would be fun socially. I'd totally be missing out.
3. I'm not getting any younger so need to do more exercising.
4. Speaking of which, I'm really noticing a difference taking stairs instead of elevators/escalators. I'm climbing about 20 flights a day.
5. Yesterday I had to make a mad dash to catch my bus twice. Normally I would have been winded but now it was no problem.
6. How much of a difference is there really between sprinting a block and running 3.5 miles?
7. OK, I just looked it up and 3.5 miles is kind of far. I could definitely walk it.
8. What if I started walking to the subway instead of taking the bus in the mornings? That would be a start.
9. The run isn't until June, I'd have plenty of time to get up to speed.
10. What would I wear? I'll need to buy a running outfit. And thinking about it, probably some running shoes too.
11. Totally doable - June is very far away.
12. What am I thinking!?! I haven't run in decades and even back then I hated running any distance. I was a sprinter.
13. But people keep talking about the running high. Maybe it won't take too long practicing before I'm a convert.
14. What am I thinking!?! I'll be running with coworkers, some being my own staff. I can't look like a fool!
15. Ugh - I have to decide in a week if I am in or out.
16. Oh god, I'm starting to remember what it was like to run - being all sweaty and red in the face. The shin splints.
17. And I'm old. Running isn't very kind to the joints.
18. But then again, lots of people run, even people older than me. Tons of older people.
19. OK, maybe I can do this. I have a week to decide. This weekend I'll go for a run and see how I fare.
20. In the meantime I'll be running my stairs. (Yesterday, I was a little lazy and late to meetings and took the elevator twice).
21. Oh crap, that's right - I'm lazy. You can't last minute train, like the weekend before go from running 3 blocks to 3 miles. Right?
22. But maybe this is what I need- a hard goal with dire consequences - embarrassment.
23. There is always one way to find out.
24. OK- good thing my weekend is fairly light. I'll go for a run and go shopping for an outfit. Then I'll decide.