It's all about the shoes....running shoes!

So, it's going to take me forever to try to backtrack my initial running, though I'm truly still in my initial stages. So here's the brief attempt:

• 5 weeks ago, started running. Couldn't run 2 full miles. But went out and got fancy "the real deal" running shoes. They even analyzed my feet & and I tried them on a treadmill in the store. Ok, so I have to stop here and expound some more b/c it was hilarious. I'm running...on a treadmill....in the middle of a store....in my jeans & cute tshirt! So she says "how do they feel?" And I'm like "compared to what?" She: "do they work well?" Me "I don't know, I don't know how they are supposed to work." She "Are they comfortable and do they stabalize your running?" Me: "I'm in a store on a treadmill in my jeans, and I'm not a runner, I couldn't begin to tell if they are remotely doing what they are supposed to be doing." I bought the shoes!
• First 2-3 times out, ran until I felt like I was going to die....about 1/2 mile. Walked a bit, ran a bit, walked a bit...liked the shoes. Note on long-term running....definitely get the motivation of cool gear like nice shoes.
  
• Accountability is good. Ran with family a few times, that pushed me...especially when Delphie is biking beside me. Frankly, it's a pain, but whenever we were going uphill, she would get "too tired" to bike up the hill, so even though I'm sucking in air like I'm buried in the sand, I'd get behind her and run while pushing her bike. Building endurance....building endurance!
• That worked. Finally about 2.5 weeks in, went for a run by myself with the old ipod set to my energetic playlist so cleverly named "Exercise," and ran the two miles on my own without stopping or walking! Success. It felt good, I felt proud. I could see the long-term goal ahead, could feel the endorphins flowing, maybe I'll end up loving this running thing afterall.
  
• Later that week, met my friend at the track to run together, again, had a good run. But as we were walking our cool down, we both looked at each other and said....great 2 miles, but really....13? No way.
  
• Been doing that 2 miles a bit now, feeling pretty good. Time to push myself up to 3. Got a head cold this week though, and my first attempt to run with it killed me. Didn't make it. Ugh. WWRRD? (What Would a Real Runner Do? in case you were wondering)
  

Haha. Thank God it's not until November. We'll see. Might have to get a new pair of shoes. I had totally underestimated the value of a woman's love for shoes in this running equation.