Relationship with Running

I have a funny relationship with running. I seem to fall in love with it. And then I need a serious break. And then I’m right back in love, again.

When I started seriously working out five years ago, I started with running. I was newly sober and felt a lot of stress, anxiety, and sadness over my new life without alcohol.

 

My solution for all this pent-up emotion was to go on long runs.

 

At first, it was 20 minutes, but then it very quickly stretched to mileage goals.

Once I started, I just wanted more and more.

 

Soon, I tested my endurance with a race. I started small, with a 10k on Thanksgiving Day.

 

The race, called Run to Feed the Hungry takes place in my hometown of Sacramento. It’s incredibly popular and draws about 30,000 people every year. That’s the size of a small town!

I did it on my own, in the rain, and kept my promise to myself- I ran the whole way. Barely, but I did.

After that hurdle was crossed, I ran a few more 10k races and signed up for my first half marathon in the spring of 2012.

 

Again, I really struggled, but I ran almost the whole thing and finished with tears in my eyes.

 

I couldn’t believe that the person who could barely walk to the mailbox the year earlier (because I was so sick from drinking), was crossing the finish line of a half marathon.

After that, I was hooked. I ran two more half marathons that year, with a PR of 1:42:28 at the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Marathon in December.

In 2013, I signed up for a local half marathon call the Shamrockn’ Half Marathon.

I was nervous on race day. My knee had been really hurting for at least a month, but I wanted to push through. I promised myself after this race I would give my body a break from the 35+ miles a week I was putting in.

 

And then my body decided it needed that break sooner than I had planned.

 

At mile 7, I felt a horrible pain and thought I blew out my knee. I walked/hobbled the rest of race, somewhat in shock, finishing with a time of 2:31:10.

And immediately went home and made an appointment with my doctor.

Turns out, it wasn’t my knee at all. It was actually a pitched sciatic nerve. For the next month I walked with a cane most of the time and just had to rest ’til it got better.

 

And when it did, I decided to branch out past running.

 

Looking back, I’m so thankful for the injury.

When I told people I was done running for a while, a friend recommended I try spin. I did, and I completely fell in love. Now I go to a beautiful spin studio- that I love- at least five times a week.

I’ve also branched out to enjoying boot camp and kettle bell classes once a week, along with Barre a few times a week for toning.

 

And with all that, I noticed a few months ago, I started to miss running on a regular basis.

 

Since the sciatica, I’d still run, but generally only while out of town. I love running when I’m traveling, but I was always happy to get back to my routine of classes back at home.

Then a few months ago, I started feeling jealous of people running the California International Marathon, which goes through Sacramento and ends at the State Capitol. The race is December 4, so running it wasn’t really a possibility. But it did make me realize how much I wanted to try a marathon.

 

If not now, then when? I’m not getting any younger!

 

So, 2017 is the year. I’ve registered for the Rock n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego on June 4. I’m excited and nervous at the same time.

The great thing is I have plenty of time to train. I’m not giving up my spin classes right now. But I have started running four miles after class three times a week.

 

This weekend I’ll tackle a long run, hopefully, 10 miles and see how it goes.

 

It will give me a good base to set up a training program that can take me all the way to June.

And who knows, I might try and tackle the Shamrockn’ Half Marathon in March as part of the preparation for the marathon.

It would be nice to stride across the finish line, instead of hobble!