Runner

I am but a beginner, and I am slow, but I am a runner.

It feels good just to say that.  I’ve never been much of an athlete, but I always felt like I had it in me – I was too shy as a child to give much a try.  And running was something in particular that I thought I couldn’t do – I mean – I never could even begin to keep up with an aerobics video – why would I even try to run?  But I did.

My inspiration came first from the fact that I have wanted to find a physical activity that I really enjoyed and was competent at that didn’t mean I had to compete with anyone else, do in front of others (like fitness classes – yuck!), and that I could do anytime I wanted, without any special preparations (when traveling, or when I can make lots of excuses!).

Then, with that as a goal in the back of my brain for years, I was given a book by my sister for my birthday this year that helped me find what I needed.  The amusing title is “You Can Do It:  The Badgebook for Grownup Girls”.  I’m not sure if she truly knew what she was getting for me, other than a really neat book (and I love books), but it turned out to be very inspiring, and a most perfect gift.  First of all, it helped me find out what I wanted to do by making me give all my desires a voice by writing them down.  Sure, it seems simple, but it really isn’t – give it a try.  It starts with a series of questions designed to help you think it through, then you write.  I have a long list.  One thing on the list was “run a footrace”.  Now, you aren’t allowed to analyze this list, just write it….cuz had I analyzed I would’ve written “walk in a charity walk”, which is more me, or so I thought:)

As fate would have it, a few weeks after I wrote my list, I received an email about an informative meeting about training for a 5k.  Informative sounded nice and safe, so I went.  It was very informative, and the most important piece of information I heard was that anybody can run (hey, that includes me!).  I was given a very, very simple plan for getting in shape gradually to the point of being ready to follow an eight-week training schedule leading up to race day.  And I was also told that you do not have to meet any qualifications to be able to call yourself a runner, except that you run.  No certain number of races run, miles logged or speed requirements.  Very nice.  So I am a runner.

April 1, 2009 – Ok, so I was a runner for awhile…then I fell off the wagon.  It all started when I was unable to run in the 5k I’d prepared for because my siblings and I had been planning to have pictures made of all our kids together and it just so happened that an appointment was the evening before the race, and we had to travel out of town for the appointment.  Now, I suppose I could’ve just told everyone that date wouldn’t work for me, but I hadn’t pre-registered for the race, and it was only a week away when the appointment was made, I wasn’t quite ready to run the whole distance…I’d have had to walk about 1/2 a mile to a mile of it, and I really just hated to make everyone work around me.  I just told myself that I’d continue training and register for the next race in my home area.  Well, as it was late fall, there wasn’t another scheduled…until Spring.  By then I’d learned how difficult it is to run in the cold, with my nostrils and chest burning from the cold air and I had tried it in the garage, where it was still just too cold, had moved the treadmill inside, where it was miserable with the dry heat on, and I had given up.  It’s been a year, and I haven’t been running.  I’m out of shape even more than usual because I had to have surgery.

But I’m finally fully recovered and started exercising today.  My plan is to get back into the routine of working out and hiking regularly, and begin training again, using the Couch to 5k plan.  I have Robert Ullrey’s podcasts, which tell me exactly when to walk, when to run, remind me to breathe, and keep my form correct, which is absolutely priceless.  These are available through iTunes as well (free).

Hopefully I’ll get to run my first 5k this time