I tend to get bored with exercise routines, even though, until recently, I was working out just twice a week. Something like circuit training would be great for several months or perhaps a year, but then it would get old, I'd plateau, and I'd walk out of the gym feeling tired, yet not any more fit. I didn't particularly look forward to exercising.

Sometimes I'd jog a little as a warm up to weight-lifting, but that usually meant jogging the 1/2 mile loop behind the YMCA a couple of times. Often, even that light jogging would leave me with a little knee or back pain, so I'd lay off for awhile and ride a stationary bike instead.

Last year, my wife starting running and decided not long afterwards that she wanted to compete in a half-marathon (13.1 miles). She trained very diligently and wisely, got good equipment, and followed a training program. She not only finished the half-marathon, but also finished at better than a 10:00 minute per mile pace. Not bad.

In late January, I decided to give running another try, and this time learn from my wife and do it right. I ditched my old, heavy cross trainers for some New Balance running shoes and let the salesman guide my choice based on my history of knee/back pain and ankle pronation. I read Runner's World magazine and went to runnersworld.com to learn about proper form, techniques for warming up, and good training programs.

As a motivator, a friend suggested signing up for an upcoming 5K (3.1 mile) race. Great idea. It provided a concrete goal and timeline, dovetailing with many training programs, which conclude with a race after a user-determined number of weeks. They aren't open-ended. They're goal oriented.

Approaching running thoughtfully and with a goal in mind has worked. I'm hooked.

The first few weeks were a little tough, since my body needed to get used the idea of running (as opposed to light, short jogging). I had some foot pain, but arch supports solved it. I've tried my best to warm up and cool down properly. I've focused on reducing my "bounce," and running as efficiently as I can.

Though it sounds like work, it isn't; it's an interesting and challenging activity. I'm running about 5 days a week, and though I think it's fair to say I was slim to start with, I've lost about 5 pounds. Easy runs, long runs, tempo runs, intervals, it's all good. I feel great when I'm running, great when I finish, and great the next day.

Now, when you start running at 42 years old, you're never going to be a top runner. In mid-February, I ran the Scrub Jay 5K (3.1 miles), a trail run in the Oscar Scherer state park, in 28:19. More recently, I finished the Run for the Turtles 5K beach run in 26:31, an 8:31 per mile pace. Compared to where I started, I am very happy with my progress. But I'm still in the bottom half of my age group (AG): males 40-45. Heck, a good third of the guys in the 65-69 AG smoked me. For even more humble pie, my time of 26:31 compares to the winner's time of 17:31. Yowza.

My goal is to finish in the top half of my AG in a 5K. While it might sound I am focused on beating my fellow man, I'm really in competition with myself. The top-half goal is just a benchmark for my own progress. When I achieve it, I'll set a new goal, and it might have nothing to do with my placement relative to other runners.

Next up is a 10K trail run this weekend in Englewood's Myakka state forest. 10K (6.2 miles) is still a little tough for me (my back gets stiff) since I have only run that far twice. So, I don't think I'll place well in my AG. Nevertheless, it should be fun.

Will I reach for a half-marathon like my wife? At this point, I doubt it. As much as I like running, training for an event like that takes a lot of time and would be tough on my body; training runs are routinely two hours long. I think I'll stick to 5Ks and an occasional 10K. I think I'd rather run faster than longer.

I get to run again tomorrow -- I can't wait.