I have some friends that blog or used to and I have never really found myself all that interesting or thought id have anything worth blogging about but I've come to just say you know what, I am interesting. I am unique and someone out there may like what I have to say.
I began running back in Sept of 2012. I decided that I needed a change. I needed to get back in control of my body. Running was something I always did back in my glory days. I knew that I could control my body better when I ran. So I jumped and signed up for a 5k. I had not run more than a pitiful mile in many years. I had 4 kids now. My body was 70lbs heavier than it ever had been. What was I thinking?! But I went out there and I ran a few times in the two weeks time until my first race. Race day came and I was so unprepared. It was a horrible attempt but I finished the race. I finished at 43 minutes even. I was hurting. I was tired and honestly I was embarrassed. This was not what I thought it would be like. But I went back out again.
Two weeks later I went with a few friends and did a small race on our local marine base. I had to bring my youngest with me and I ran/walked with her in the stroller. This time it was even worse! 55 minutes it took me to finish. I knew I had to actually train if I were to continue to run. There was no way that it would even be possible. I just couldnt try again without training. So I joined a local running group. It took me a few months before I got up the courage to actually go to one of their workouts but I followed the page and I read all that I could. I actually went out and I ran. I trained. A few more races and I lowered my 5k time from 43 minutes to 37 minutes. Still not fast by any means but I was out there and I was doing it and this time I enjoyed it. And by this time I had a great group of running friends and partners that pushed me to do more.
This crazy group of runners brainwashed me into thinking I could do even more than a 5k. What?! No way.... I never thought I would do anything more than that, it was crazy talk. But they did. They got me on the crazy train and between Feb of 2013 and Sept of 2013, I had ran over 500 miles lowered my 5k time, trained and ran a 10k and had trained and was about to run my first ever half marathon. 13.1 freaking miles, holy cow! I was now obsessed with running and did whatever I could to fit it into my day. It made me feel like myself, made me feel alive. Running became my therapy, my stress relief, my solitude and the time I needed to just be me again. Not the wife, the mother. Just me. It felt wonderful. I continued running and pushing my pace as I ran another half marathon just two weeks after the first, followed by a 10k just two weeks later where I beat my first 10k pace. I finished up my running for the year on Thanksgiving of 2013 at our local Turkey Trot. This was race 18 for the year. I had set a lofty goal of 20 and I still had 2 more races coming up but life had other plans for me.
I had been dealing with off and on pain in my calf, it was mostly annoying when running but afterwards would just ache and ache. At the turkey trot I pushed myself harder than I had in a long time. I crossed the finish line limping and gasping for air but I had crossed that finish line in a time of 33 minutes and 42.4 seconds. A huge PR. 10 minutes off in just over a year. It was amazing. I felt amazing. As the adrenaline wore off that amazement fell way to pain. I went into my doctor a few days later and found out I had torn my soleus muscle in my calf. I needed to stop running and begin physical therapy. Cue heartbreak. Ugh, not running was awful. I hated it. And to not have my stress reliever, my me time, specially over the holidays was just unreal. But it wasnt too long before I was setting new goals. I was going to focus on my running, focus on new distances. Within a few weeks of getting the go ahead to begin running again, i began to train for a new half marathon. This time I had to train with two of my children with me as my husband was out of town for training with the military. Pushing a 30lb and a 50lb kid in a 25lb stroller was nuts but I was not any slower than my pacing had been for my previous half marathon. I had high hopes of setting a new PR at this upcoming race. I was excited for it and just could not wait. Unfortunately plans changed and I missed out on that race but friends helped push me towards a new goal. One that I did NOT think would be possible. A FULL MARATHON! But these friends of mine, they know how to deliver the crazy and there I was back on the crazy train.
Its been a few weeks now since I ran my first marathon. I did not do my best, injury got in the way of that but I am happy for my chance to do it. My experience was an overall good one. But i have decided that maybe right now fulls are just not what I should be doing. I was able to lose weight and lose many inches as well as gain some great muscle mass during training which many say is not possible (after all you are always hungry while training!) but I have figured out how to control my body again. I have figured out how to be me again. And most of all, I am happy again. I still have a long way to go. But I am getting closer every day. And just like we have to train to run those races, to get good at those distances. I just have to train my body to stay strong, to be healthy and to be happy. So every time I am out there and I say to myself, Run, Steph, Run, whether it be 13.1 miles or just 3 miles, I am doing it for life. I am doing it for happiness. I am doing it for health and for fun. And so I will run.
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