That first mile is a b*tch!

There. I said it. And I'll say it again, just for emphasis: THAT FIRST MILE IS A NASTY B!

I don't care if you've been running for 10 years, 10 months, or 10 days... That first mile, whether in a regular training run or a race, is downright awful.

Every day, I go out for my run, and during that first mile I feel like a frail, old man with emphysema... After that, all is right with the world again, but shouldn't the first mile be the easiest?

I'm currently mentoring (I don't know if I can call it that, 'cuz it's not like I'm a pro - or even that good, for that matter) another person at running, and she's starting out as a complete non-runner. So tackling that first non-stop mile is HARD. I remember it clearly. It was a major milestone in my running, and I'm sure it was for you too. So again, that first mile is a b*tch.

After my surgery, I thought that first mile was going to KILL ME!! In fact, I was pretty darn sure I was dying, and would never be able to run any farther than my mailbox ever again. But of course, I got past it, and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Every race I've done, the first mile is EXCRUCIATING... Am I going too fast? Too slow? I have HOW MANY MORE MILES TO GO???? Whose idea was this, anyway???

But tonight, I'm going to thank that Nasty B because she's taught me one thing: Life is just like running - you have to find a way to keep moving forward and suck it up. It'll get easier.

I think Lance Armstrong sums it up best: "Me and running don't always see eye to eye. Some days it hurts more than others, but it doesn't mean I don't do it - I deal with it, and I keep running because not everything that is good for you always feels good for you."