Monday, April 9, 2012

The One About Running

Seeing as how there's 32 more days until the "big" day, I thought I would give a quick update post.
When I started running with the Run for God program at Riverland Hills Baptist Church, I honestly didn't think I would stick with it.

Here is the thing: I have a tendency of starting things with the full intention of finishing and somewhere along the way I lose interest, I get preoccupied with other things or I just quit for no reason. The $75 price tag for this program (which includes a nice running t-shirt, book and registration for the Get in the Pink race) helped in the way of sticking with it.

Over the past 7 weeks, I have gone from not being able to run 60 seconds without sounding like all the air in the world was gone to being able to run two 8-minute intervals without getting too winded. For some of you this doesn't seem a big deal, but for me it is huge. This week we jump to a 20-minute run. While I am nervous, I know that this program is designed for people like me and I trust that by the end of this week I will be running the full 20-minutes. I have run in the rain (which I recommend everyone do at least once in their lives), in freezing cold and in the stifling Columbia heat.


I started this program not knowing anyone besides my friend Brooke who is training separately in the 10k group. At first, I didn't mind the solitude. I actually liked running by myself so I could huff and puff and pant as loud as I wanted to without feeling embarrassed. But with anything, there needs to be a sense of community. During one of the first weeks, I met a woman named Robin and got to know her story. The following weeks I met Diane and Joan. Strong women of all ages that I could run beside and be encouraged by. It has made all the difference.


Thanks to Bill Haselden for the photos!

I didn't realize that I needed someone beside me saying, "You can do it! We are almost there!" Followed by high fives, smiles and laughing after the whistle blows.

So that is where I am at. At a place where running isn't so bad. At a place where I am getting healthier. At a place where I am not feeling so lazy.



I still don't like getting up at 7:30 on Saturday to run. I still don't like the occasional pain of my sciatic nerve. But at the end of the day (or mid morning), when I take off my running shoes and peel off my sweaty t-shirt. I feel good. I feel rejuvenated and I feel alive.

Side note: I also feel as if I would be safe in the event that a Zombie Apocalypse occurred. Just saying.

1 comment :

  1. "sounding like all the air in the world was gone" -- that's me running too. still. :-/ I love the Hunger Games and Zombie Apocalypse references. :-) congrats on your stick-to-it-iveness!

    ReplyDelete

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