3.4 miles isn’t a marathon, but it might as well be

Today I did something I thought I would never do. I ran 3.4 miles without stopping. I ran at a snails pace of just under 14 minutes per mile, but I kept my knees up and arms bent, so it’s a run and not a walk.

Years ago, as in about 18 years ago, I ran a 5k with some friends just for fun. At the time I was also a group exercise instructor teaching cardio-kickboxing, spinning, step aerobics, things of that nature. Nonetheless, back then I hated running. I did it out of peer pressure and curiosity. Somehow, I did another 5k that fall, but never trained for it nor did I intend to ever run again.

My dislike, or rather, my utter dislike, for running has been a lifetime affliction. When I was in first grade (I think) I went out for the soccer team and quit after 1 season because it involved too much running. My body wasn’t made for running. I have short thick legs and a long torso and crappy lungs, so running and I were never good friends. While running wasn’t my thing I have always appreciated being active and the camaraderie that comes with sports, so in junior high and through most of high school I played tennis. I had to quit tennis my senior year because our coach started to make us run a mile after practice!

On one fateful afternoon I happened to be watching The Drs after many years of staying active only in spurts and in the middle of a slump. Dr. Travis, the shows host, was promoting an active lifestyle and specifically running. He said one of the biggest mistakes new runners make is over doing it by going to fast and/or too far too soon. He provided a few tips on how to get started and since I was too broke to join a gym I thought I’d try it out. Luckily my cousin and I were living together and she was a runner. She was much better at it than I was, but she was patient and willing to adapt to my slow speed and short distances.

Still it didn’t stick. It hurt everywhere, every time.

I continued to dabble here and there, but never really committed to a training plan or schedule. I resigned to hating running. So how is it possible that today I ran 3.4 miles?  I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with motherhood. A year after my son was born I started to get serious about getting healthy. At almost 40, and a new mom, I had the weight of needing to be healthy and active for as long as possible in order to be there for my son, sitting on my shoulders. In other words, I wanted/needed to feel like I was contributing to my health and not just “hoping” it would all work out!

So, I got out the jogger stroller and started walking with him every morning. Then I sprinkled in some running and when the winter came I started working out on the elliptical. I was getting healthy again and feeling good about it. Then our son started daycare!

Sick. Someone was always sick. Him, me, or my husband for about 6 months. It was brutal!

I struggled to keep a routine and running outside sounded like torture. But then something changed. I turned 40. 40 came much faster than I thought it would and it felt like 30, but isn’t. I was still struggling to maintain an exercise routine with a combination of elliptical workouts and walking mostly, but I wanted to do something more. More? I didn’t know what kind of “more” I wanted. I knew I didn’t want the “workout ‘til I puke” kind of thing, I had done that back in my 20s. I wanted something cheap and flexible. Yikes! I was back to thinking about running. I decided to start super slow and do walk/jogs. Nothing crazy, just a minute of jogging and then 2-3 minutes of walking and then repeat. I talked a great friend of mine into doing this with me and before we knew it we were up to a mile jog with walking, then 2 miles!

For about a month now we’ve also been running once a week with a faculty mentor of ours who is an avid runner and with her tips and coaching, I’ve realized I don’t hate running. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hop out of bed looking forward to my run, but I do appreciate all the things running affords me. I feel good about doing something healthy for my family and myself. I feel good that I haven’t turned away from something positive just because it’s hard (thank you parenting and grad school for teaching me this).  I feel good about making measurable progress and I feel especially good that I can resist the urge to quit just because I’m not good at it. And now after 40 years on this earth and 30+ of those spent hating running, I can say, “I’m a runner.”