A few of the body revolution bloggers have mentioned running and it got me thinking about my own running.
A couple years ago my bro-in-law asked me straight out "why do you run?" it wasn't a philosophical question. He was genuinely baffled. To him it seemed like the most insane torture you could inflict on yourself.
It was funny to me because I felt exactly the same way when I was a teenager. Almost all my brothers and sisters (I have a step-family with 10 kids in in it!) we're runners. I honestly thought it was some kind of eating disorder and I refused to do it.
In college, one of my sisters tried to get me into it. I would jog with her for about 2 miles but I only did it because I thought it would help me lose weight. I still hated it.
It wasn't until I was away from all my family members at grad school that it clicked. I really enjoyed doing hour long intense step aerobics classes so when a friend asked me to start running 2 miles every other day with her I said sure. I thought of it in terms of cardio time. 20 minutes would be nothing next to the hour I was used to.
My friend wanted to run a half marathon. I told her I'd train with her up to 5 miles but that was it. We had a 2 mile loop and a 3 mile loop we started alternating every other day.
I remember vividly the day we put those loops together and I ran 5 miles for the first time. I couldn't believe it! My legs were jelly and I kept thinking for the rest of the day, "my legs have carried me over 5 miles today."
I took myself to a chain running store in the mall and bought my first pair of running shoes. Before I'd been running in cross trainers. I was legit now!
We started doing long runs on Saturdays. The farthest I got with her was 11 miles because I got pregnant and had that severe kind of nausea that gets you hospitalized and on an IV drip. She kept going and did great at the half marathon.
After my pregnancy I picked up running again to help me lose the baby weight. This time I was running by myself. I loved having some quiet time to myself where I could listen to a podcast an enjoy the fresh air. Eight months after my son was born I ran/walked my first half marathon. Since then I've run another half marathon, two full marathons and lots of other smaller races.
When my brothers and sisters get together they've always enjoyed going out for a run together. Now I join them instead of staying home. They get a kick out of the fact that I run way more than they do. Most people I know now can't imagine that I ever wasn't a runner.
And here's a random picture of my breakfast because I like pictures.
Thanks for sharing this, Catherine. I started "running" at 39, and have pretty much been a seasonal runner ever since (spring-autumn). I hate the backslide after having several months off, but have never experienced the sheer joy after exercise that I have had after a good run! I'm slow, I don't go very far...and I just don't care. I cannot WAIT to get back out there this season on a regular basis, even though those first few times will feel like you-know-what. I was hoping to train for my first 1/2 marathon this summer (10k is the furthest distance I've gone), but it isn't looking terribly good for me in terms of schedule/time. It's OK though. I'll just feel great to get some miles back on the books!!
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring!! I've recently started dabbling with running and I've had some great runs that resulted in amazing "runner's high"....it's definitely something I'd like to keep at and hopefully get enough guts to sign up for a 5k one of these days :-)
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