Updated Title Since my Friends didn't approve of the pregnant hippo: What does a svelte, sexy running hippo look like?

I haven't run in four years.  The last time I ran, I made a horrible, horrible mistake.  I ran downhill for an extended period of time.  Now, any runner knows that running downhill is really risky.  You have to be really careful how fast you run (you have to control your pace and fight the urge to pretend you are flying down the hill) and focus on your form more than anything else.  So as much fun as it was to fly, the next day my knee swelled up to the size of a large grapefruit and has never stopped bothering me since.  Not to the point where anything drastic needs to be done but just enough to use it as an excuse to be lazy.  The last time I ran, I was having a really hard time in my life, much like I am now, and I had rested my knee for a week or so after my sparrow routine and decided to test it out.  About half a mile in I realize my knee is killing me and this overwhelming grief just took over and I started crying.  Right there in the middle of the busy street in posh downtown neighborhood.  Then I realized that I must look completely insane standing there crying by myself in my running gear and felt so embarrassed that I ran an extra three miles just to make up for it.  That was my last run ever.  It was excruciating and almost made me never want to to do it again.

Until...

I'm the girl next to the tall blonde in red.  Next to her I look frumpy as hell
but I like it anyway.

Until one of my lovely friends posted a picture of us from four years ago in Vegas.  I'm standing there, in my mini skirt, no nylons, just legs and...I don't often praise my body so please let me have this one moment...I look fantastic.  At least my legs do.  So I went and bought a new pair of running shoes yesterday and started the C25K program from cool running again.  It sucks starting from scratch but I really need it.  I alternated jogging and walking for 20 minutes and I was dying at the end.  I might be exaggerating just a bit but it wasn't pretty.  I remember when 5k was a warm up.  I want to get back to that.  And if that requires looking like a pregnant hippo chasing after its next meal, then I will jiggle all way.

So today was day one and I "ran" around 2 miles.  Baby steps.

Next time on That Weird Crying Girl: I'm starting a snail army!