Step by step

Step by laborious step, I ran along a two-lane trail Sunday for nearly 4.5 miles through the Northern Virginia suburbs. Ran is a subjective term. "Some" would say I plodded. "Some" would have been right.

"This is fun, this is necessary, this is fun, this is necessary," I thought as my feet ached and my breath labored. I like to call myself a runner, but these days, my "running" pace has slowed to ponderous jog. In the time it took me to finish my 4.5-mile course, the Boston Marathon winners probably would have finished seven miles or more.

The timing for this run was perfect, just after Easter services and right before lunch. The weather was cool, the breeze was light, the course was flat. I should have been flying. Instead I was faltering.

Still, I pressed on. I'm training for the annual Capital Challenge race, which pits five-person teams from the media vs. teams from Congress, the administration and the judicial branch. The three-mile race is scheduled for May 3.

The Boston Marathon winners could probably run the three-mile course backwards and still beat me. But I'll have more fun. I think.

It's kind of like golf. What's the joy in hitting it straight onto the green every time? If you hit errant shots, you get to see more of the golf course. If you run leisurely, you can enjoy the scenery much more than the young, speedy whippersnappers.