mile two

The first time I did two miles I went easy and steady, so by the time I finished the first mile I was barely out of breath. The whole thing took me almost one hour. I stayed with this approach for several days. My limbs were rigid every morning, but doing two miles this way was easier than doing one. The problem was this pace would have me trotting for 13 hours or so to complete the marathon. I could already envision it: night falling, me, and the traffic. I tried for better time. Increasing the speed felt like progress (look, ma, I am actually running!), and it also felt dangerous. A faint blade of pain passed through my ankle, the foreshadowing of a cramp materialized in my calf. I was not sure I could handle running. Perhaps I had to do warm-ups and stretching? It sucks to be so inept at what you are doing.