Running

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On my run today, thoughts floated in my mind as to why I enjoy this seemingly painful sport so much. Yes, I take a lot of pleasure and relaxation in running, finding the hour or two when I’m on the road as a journey in itself. Maybe circumstances are a bit heavy for the moment, stresses piling up, or I need to mentally sort some thoughts and emotions. By the end of a five or six mile journey, problems seem to be solved, stresses melt away, anger and frustrations gone and replaced by a sense of inner peace. I run as much as I can, some phases in life more than others. For example, in the budding stages of the Syrian war, I ran so often to cope with the shocking horrors of an unraveling civil war that I completed a marathon by the end of 2012. Most times, however, are far less dramatic- I do it because I love it and because it maintains balance and calm in my free spirited life.

Beginnings

When I was 12 years old, my dad made me run a mile every time we went to the gym. No matter how much I dreaded the treadmill, I had to finish the mile before I could continue with anything else (light weights, swimming, basketball, etc.) The habitual mile runs started giving way to two mile runs (out of my own volition) and one day I finished three miles nonstop. It wasn’t as hard as I imagined.

I joined the track team in junior high, and was comically slow in sprinting but did relatively well in distance. After another year of track in high school, I joined the cross country team my sophomore year. If I can help it, I have not gone more than two weeks without exercising since.

Through my cross country team I met who are now what I consider to be my California sisters. We put in a good seven miles a day, with extra long runs in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains on the weekends. It was daily mileage of sweating, laughing, climbing hills, tempo runs, lazy stretching, jokes and confessions. Even after a very long day of classes, I couldn’t wait to be on the road for whatever challenging or 'easy' workout we had (easy days meant 6 or 7 miles of conversational fun).

When high school ended, the running didn’t. I try to race a half marathon or full once a year, and so far have done four half’s and two full's. Half’s are all the fun and glory of racing minus the pain. You get a medal, you get applauded and cheered, you get free bananas. And 13 miles is enough to elicit feelings of accomplishment and a decent runner’s high. But full marathons are my favorite- its 26.2 miles of questioning why in God’s name did you sign up for this, pushing through body numbing pain, not being entirely sure if nature is calling or if you answered it already without knowing… and seeing people drop like flies from leg cramps the last eight or so miles. It is questioning whether or not there is glory in this madness or if it is purely pleasure derived from self-inflicted pain.

In short, the reason why I love marathons so much more is because they are not flashy, they are not easy, and they challenge every aspect of your physical and (more importantly) mental capabilities. Marathons are a testament to your own personal will and challenges your character on so many levels. When I sign up for a marathon, I am making a full commitment to train for four to six months for just one day of racing. I do it to prove to myself that I can finish over two dozen miles in one setting. And then to tell folks afterward that they can complete a marathon too- anyone can.

Now, turning the discussion a bit, here are some myths about runners, debunked.

“You must eat really healthy”
Not really. Actually I get criticized for my eating habits all the time. I do not crave salads, fruit smoothies, and whole wheat bread after I put in a long run; I crave Hot Cheetos, soda, and gummy bears. I love candy, and I can swallow a bag of salt and vinegar chips if it is left unattended. I am known as the cookie monster at work. I consider frozen yogurt with a mountain of chocolately toppings a meal. However, after years of roomie concern and consequent intervention, I have learned how to curb these frightening binges by keeping small bags of said junk food in my room to fight off the cravings, and then I (sigh) move on to the whole grains and vegetable nonsense. But sometimes I still drink Diet Coke in the a.m. because I am an adult, because I pay taxes, and because I can.

“If you are a distance runner, then you cannot possibly be lazy”
Absolutely false. I personally am the epitome of lazy. I phone call my little brother to come downstairs and retrieve the remote control if it is visibly out of my reach.

“You must be good at sports”
HA! haha… does beer pong count?
Amusingly enough, I have difficulty excelling in sports that involve, well... balls. Or any other sport of technical skill and coordination. Tennis, squash, volleyball, shooting, dancing even… imagine having a body that is T-Rex’s legs and Mr. Potato Head’s arms. Now try playing sports that involve some sort of balance and precision. Hilarity ensues. (though I do consistently get an A for effort and enthusiasm =) )

“You run to lose weight”
I don’t think that was ever a personal goal for me to run, but I recognize that is one that encourages many folks to begin running. However, in order to maintain the habit, I have found that you need to really fall in love with it and crave it in the same way I crave mashed potatoes and biscuits. Running is my main form of exercise during the seasons that weather permits. I cross-train at the gym with other cardio sports if the roads are too icy or if the humidity is too high, but the moment conditions are suitable I am outside again. Recently, I am also incorporating more yoga on the days of the week I do not run because I have found it to be a great way to stretch out my whole body and improve my flexibility. I also don’t stretch properly anymore because uh… (please refer to myth #2).

“You must feel so energized after a run!”
Okay sure, sometimes =) Running definitely adds a balance to life, and going without it or exercise for too long throws off my groove. But there is a happy medium: if I am looking for energy I make the runs shorter (under an hour); but after notably long runs, I don’t exactly feel energized... in fact, I typically crawl into my bed and watch reruns of Cheers, usually snacking on anything within reach. Those are days during my down time when running is the biggest accomplishment of the day.

Last few things I want my friends to know: Run often, run with caution. Let me know what trails you find in this area so I can explore them too. I won’t judge you, at all, if I find you spraying a can Reddi Whip straight into your mouth and watching your favorite movie for the 100th time after a long run. Sometimes you don’t feel like lacing the shoes and hitting the road- and that is a completely viable excuse for me. But for you, if you’re a rookie then you better get out there tiger and prove to yourself that you are committed to joining the running family, in which Prefontaine is our king.

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