6 mph

It's not fast, my run pace. Six miles per hour, or a 10-minute mile, will never win a 5K. In fact, some would argue that it's not really a "run," but more of a "jog."

But that's OK.

It suits me just fine.

I know that it's much faster than it used to be. When I first started this journey, it was all I could do to keep up a 4 mph or 15-minute mile pace for more than a half-hour or so. Every day, I'd try to go a little bit longer, a little bit faster. I walked as fast as my legs would carry me. And when I couldn't walk any faster, running seemed like a logical next step. My run pace was a whopping 4.5 mph, mind you.

I know that it gets my heart pumping ... and it's sustainable. When I'm done, I'm sweaty and winded. But I also know I can do it again tomorrow. The first part of that equation is the easier one. You know when you're sweating. It's harder to know how much is enough ... and how much is too much.

I know it's improvable. I ran my first ... and only so far ... half marathon in 2 hours and 9 minutes. That's ever-so-slightly under 6 mph. By just a skosh. When I ran that race, I thought my pace was about 5.5 mph and I was surprised by my time. I'd like to give it a shot now just to see what might happen.

In the end, the point of this number is that I know that it changes. None of this is about counting how many miles are covered or how long it takes to do them.

It's about doing them. And it's about letting yourself learn that you can do it. And it's about getting better.

Getting better, literally and figuratively, feels really good.