Endorphin High

I am trying to get into running for the summer. This is made easier by the fact that Erin runs after work. She jogs from 3:30-4:30 everyday. Since I have class on Tuesday and Thursdays, I have vowed to join her on Mondays, Wednesdays and possibly Fridays. I am also going to try to run on my own on weekends. This is all working towards the goal of doing a 5K in October. The first few runs with Erin have been death, I also ran with my mom on Saturday and it too nearly killed me. My mom explained that it will take a few weeks to push through the terrible pain that comes from running when you are ridiculously out of shape but that soon after it starts to feel great and I will experience the endorphin high that I'm used to. I have never suffered this much from small simple jogs, I think that this is possibly because I'm in the worst shape of my life, and I haven't jogged outside in years. Usually I get my cardiovascular workouts from dance classes or work-out machines. Unfortunately the machines do not translate to real life, what I can do on a treadmill is no where close to what actually happens when I run outside along a bike path. I can get the endorphin high from the machines though, but in the summer I don't want to be stuck running inside on a treadmill at the Carleton Gym. I want to feel the flush on my cheeks cooled by an actual breeze, the pain in my shins quelled by running on grass, the sharpness of breath stopped by inhaling fresh air, the beauty of the canal and river, feeling inspired by the great expanse of the sky, urban and connected to the city.