I have always asked myself the question - why do people enjoy running? I am constantly hearing people talk about the 5ks, half marathons, and marathons that they push thier bodies to complete and then talk about the complete exhaustion but utter pride they have in themselves for doing such a horendous task.
Here, I can list three reasons why I dont usually enjoy running:
1. I have a bum knee. Yes this usually is an "excuse" but due to lack of ACL that went missing from a mishap in 2005, the doctor even told me running would not help the knee heal. BAM the doctor told me not to run.
2. I dont enjoy side cramps. Period.
3. Shin splints, sore ankles, hard breathing... sounds miserable.
My hatred for running goes back to my high school days, when in gym class we were required to run a mile under 10 minutes and trained for it every week. My freshman year I was on the volleyball team and worked out consistently so it wasnt that I was out of shape - I just hated to run. Later that year I got talked into joining the track team as a sprint runner - which lasted a week due to painful knee splints and exhaustion that just about killed me.
After that, you couldnt PAY me to run. The only time I ran was when I was running away from someone or chasing someone down. And even then, it would end with me on the ground huffing and puffing until it felt like my lungs were going to collapse. Why, WHY would someone want to run so fast that thier lungs felt like they wanted to explode?
I thought this way until someone told me it wasnt about running fast, it was just about the run. So I tried it in college only to fail due to lack of support from my knee. After 2 days of icing to bring the swelling down, I pretty much wrote off running for good. I was content enough to go to the gym and ride the bike, go on the elliptical, maybe even do the stair stepper - things that didnt require too much pressure on my poor left knee.
But now that I am out of college, I am living in Colorado, a state where EVERYONE seems to run. I mean, even bars down here host weekly 5ks to get people moving. For fun people run up the incline (which is 1000 stairs going stright up the mountain) and then run down barr trail, timing themselves to see how fast they can go. Really? I can barely walk up the incline without being miserable!
However, since 2011 is a new year for me and I am trying to do things as a Coloradoan- I mean, I even went snowboarding for the first time this year! - I have decided that I want try running again. With the support of some friends, and the fact that my knee hasnt felt this good since before my injury, I decided to give running a shot last night. I geared up and mentally prepared myself to run half of it and walk the rest, thinking that my legs would go into shock since I havent attempted anything like this since the Summer.
Low and behold - I did it. I, Megan, ran the ENTIRE 3.1 MILES of the Jack Quinn's 5k. I think about half ran/half danced into the finish line (probably could have been also that I had to use the bathroom sooo bad which made the last leg of the run miserable) but I accomplished it. I never stopped - I just ran at a slower pace. And finished it in 40 minutes. I couldnt erase the slap happy grin on my face last night, now fully understanding what my sister tried to explaining to me before about the "runners high" Hell, it was so good I have even contemplated running it again as soon as possible!
Does this mean I am a new found Colorado runner? I dont know. Only time will tell. Right now my legs are still feeling it so running is out of the question this week. But I feel like it could be something I can eventually get more into - however I would have to do it in style. There is some really cute running gear on the market!
No comments:
Post a Comment