Just Sh*t: A New York City Story

Chapter 35: Stumbling Into Strides

The next morning, Jamie found himself alone at the park with Mira. He was already sweating just from standing there, feeling like this whole running thing was a mistake. Still, Mira looked calm and confident as always, dressed in sleek workout gear and ready to go.

"Alright, Jamie," Mira said, giving him a friendly smile as she set her phone to track their progress. "We're going to start slow, okay? We'll do a light stretch first."

Jamie nodded, mimicking her movements as she showed him how to properly stretch his legs and arms. As they worked through the motions, Mira stayed quiet, relaxed with herself and played some upbeat music. Jamie half-listened, distracted by the thought of running.

After a few minutes of stretching, Mira straightened up. "Okay, time to run. We'll just do a quarter-mile to start. Easy pace, no rush."

Jamie's stomach dropped. **Quarter-mile?** He barely understood how far that was, but it already sounded like too much.

"Ready?" Mira asked, and before Jamie could even think of a proper excuse, they were off.

The first few steps weren't so bad. Mira jogged beside him at a reasonable pace, and Jamie tried to keep up. But after the first hundred yards, his breath started to get ragged. By the time they hit the quarter-mile mark, his legs were screaming, and he had a stitch in his side. He bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"I think I tore my Achilles." He let out a big huff and wheezed. "I can't run. Forget it. Cancel Saturday. There's no way."

Mira laughed, finding him charming. "If you did that, you wouldn't be standing up."

Jamie, still bent over, straightened out. But his breath had not returned yet.

Jamie gasped, "How... do you... enjoy this?"

Mira laughed lightly, but there was no judgment in her eyes. She waited for him to catch his breath before responding. "It's not about the running itself, at least not at first," she explained, stretching out her legs casually. "It's about the challenge. Pushing yourself, clearing your mind, and finding your rhythm. For me, it's a way to reset. I get into this flow where everything else disappears, and it's just... freeing."

Jamie squinted up at her, still trying to comprehend how anyone could enjoy feeling like their lungs were on fire. But there was something in the way she talked about it—a sense of peace and control that he didn't really get to experience in his own life. Maybe she was onto something.

"And the more you do it," Mira added, "the easier it gets. You build endurance. It stops feeling like punishment and starts feeling... well, like freedom."

Jamie, still panting, stared down at the ground. "Freedom, huh?" He wasn't sure he believed it yet, but there was a flicker of motivation inside him now. If Mira could find peace in this, maybe he could too—maybe he just needed to push through.

After a moment, Jamie stood up straighter, rubbing his aching side. "Alright," he said, catching his breath. "Let's keep going."

Part 2:

Over the next few days, Jamie and Mira found a rhythm. After that first quarter-mile struggle, Jamie realized something: Mira wasn't going to let him quit, but she wasn't going to drag him, either. Instead, they took turns pushing each other to go just a little further each time.

"Come on, one more block!" Mira would call out, grinning as she jogged ahead of him.

"One more?" Jamie would pant, struggling to keep up. "You said that two blocks ago!"

"Yeah, but this time I *mean* it," she'd say with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying watching him suffer.

Not to be outdone, Jamie started pushing back in his own way. When they'd stop for a break, he'd challenge her right back. "Alright, *you* lead the next lap, but you can't slow down. Let's see if you're as fast as you say you are," he'd taunt, despite the fact that he was usually the one on the verge of collapsing.