I was accused of "jogging"...by my OWN child!

It was warmer than the previous day's run when it was the puppy's turn to head out for a run with me, sporting a bone-printed winter coat (he IS part chihuahua after all). Today I had somehow agreed (really, I'm not entirely sure why or how my daughter got me to say yes) to push her in her old jogging stroller for my 5 miler. We had just started the run when she looked up at me and said, "Ugh. You're jogging." I explained, that unlike her, I didn't start my runs by sprinting right from the beginning, that to avoid pulling anything I prefer to walk and then run slowly (NOT jog) before I get settled into my pace. Still though..I picked it up a bit after she threw out the J-word.

I don't really know why the term jogging bothers runners en mass. Maybe it is the half-ass'd meaning it gives to what we're doing, like we could but are choosing not to push harder. In this case, yes, I was jogging but when I first started running that pace would have been my average running speed. I realized then that "jogging" isn't a set pace, it changes as we improve as runners. I still decided to pop a wheelie with the stroller (to which she squealed and giggled) when we were on the trail..jogging my a$$!