I saw you running on the side of the road yesterday. You're the one who just started running a short time ago.

As I passed by, I had to wonder what made you start. Was it some bad news from your doctor or a milestone birthday? Maybe it was just the desire to capture some long forgotten feeling. Whatever the reason, you somehow found the courage to take the first stride.

Your first run wasn't what you had expected it to be. You didn't feel any exhilaration. You didn't feel freedom. No, you didn't feel anything like that. What you felt was pain. In a few short minutes, your lungs burned. Then, your entire body started complaining and you had to walk back to the house.

The next day you felt like you had run a marathon the day before. You could hardly walk, let alone run, but in a couple days you went out the door again anyway, trying to find whatever you were looking for.

It didn't feel any easier that day, but after a few weeks, you could jog the entire meager distance you had mapped out for yourself. The small success gave you the motivation to continue.

Yesterday, when I saw you, you didn't look like you were having fun, but you had a look of determination on your face and I could tell you were going to finish. And, you did.

When you set this column aside, you'll finish your run today as well, stepping outside into fresh air while everyone else huddles inside. You'll add a little distance because you're starting to believe in yourself. You know you can do it.

In a couple weeks, you'll actually begin to enjoy it. For the first time, it won't hurt. You'll go through your day feeling a little different than you usually do, carrying a kind of self- confidence you didn't have before. People will notice.

Before long, you will be running farther and more days each week. You'll enter your first 5K race and feel a little nervous because you don't know what to expect. Your running will have a new purpose as you prepare for race day.

When that day comes you'll be surprised by the feeling of electricity in the air. You'll like being a part of a group of people who all seem excited to have gotten out of bed early on a Saturday morning. You'll feel like you've become a part of something special.

You'll stand on the starting line, and the significance of the moment will strike you. You'll realize how far you've come just to stand on that line. You'll look around at the group of people who surround you and understand that you aren't the only one who feels that way.

The gun will sound and the anxiousness will lift with the first step. You'll hear a little yell from the people around you as the mass moves forward. Off in the distance you'll briefly see the leaders as they pull away. The sight will give you a new appreciation for human potential.

The rest of the race will pass in a blur. The finish line will appear sooner than expected as you realize that you have run the entire 3.1 miles without walking at all. You'll even find a little sprint inside yourself right before the finish line. Looking back, you'll watch a few runners coming in behind you and admire their effort.

You'll come home with a feeling of accomplishment like you've never felt before and feel a strange combination of contentment and fatigue.

As you go through a normal routine you'll find yourself in front of the bathroom mirror. There, you'll linger and look into your own eyes as a thought comes into your mind that surprises you. Just a few months ago you never would have imagined it, and you smile as you hear yourself say out loud - I am a runner.

I saw you running on the side of the road yesterday, and I know where you were headed.