I decided this week that I could complete a 5k run/walk. (In my case, it would be all walk and no run.) I have no idea where the thought came from. I have absolutely no empirical evidence to support the idea that I can walk 3 miles without dying. The most I’ve managed on the treadmill is 2.5 miles---and that made my legs all wobbly. Still, my brain insisted I could do this.
My brain was wrong.
I tested the idea at the gym the other day. Even with the treadmill set at a lower speed, my body made it clear that it is not ready for 3 miles of anything. My feet, my knees, my ankles—all protested with great vehemence. Then they threatened to go on strike.
I haven’t given up on the idea, but my brain and I had a long talk about realistic expectations. A 5k is not one of them. Yet.