On achy knees and running at 25

I've picked up running again. A couple years ago I was really into it - I ran almost everyday and it lasted for a couple years. Then we moved here. To North Carolina. In the middle of summer. If you've never experienced humidity before don't try running in it. It was tough and I quickly gave up trying. 

My work out routine has been pretty sporadic and, shall we say, eclectic since then. 

So, almost three years later, I decided to run again. It started out as a supplement to P90X - I'd run a mile or so in the morning and then do the video in the afternoon. I lost steam in the videos after two months but running clicked again. 

It's been nice. I've stuck mainly to the treadmill (because I can watch Gilmore Girls while I run, duh.) but last week I went to the loop. The loop is out here at Wrightsville beach. It's about three miles but if you start at the Starbucks down the road the round trip is just over five miles. 

I've been running 3-4 miles a day regularly so five didn't seem too difficult. Plus, it's outside. Outside running is always better than inside running, right? You'd like to think so. 

The run itself was fine - my breathing was regular, my lungs were fine, no cramps popped up. It was a blustery day and things got even windier when I ran over the bridge - my already short shorts were blowing up to god knows where and my tank straps were flying off my shoulders. It's a fun balance: running and keeping my clothes on. 

Things were great until that last mile. My knees started aching and felt like they were on fire. I forgot how hard pavement is on your joints - ouch! My running strides turning into jogging shuffles and I was trying to shift weight to my right knee - the knee that wasn't traitorous. 

I didn't give up though. I ran the whole thing. While I was stretching I was contemplating this new pain. I'd never had joint pain before. Is this what happens as you age? Your body starts complaining about actions you previously had no trouble accomplishing?

That's some bull shit. 

25 is coming fast and I never saw it as old (I did cry pretty terribly when I turned 20). 25 is cool. I've lived through a quarter of a century. It's the year I'm going to start law school. I get to rent cars without paying an extra fee. People may even give me some credence and think of me as an adult (which is a flawed assumption on their part). 

25 is going to be great. Except for these knee aches. I can do without those.