I remember in Junior High hating Wednesdays. It was nothing like in the movie Mean Girls where they all wore pink. In fact it had nothing to do with Mean Girls or anything like it. Well, especially given I graduated from Junior High in 1995. Mean Girls wasn't even close to being 'a thing'. In fact, I just thought about that movie as I was writing about Wednesdays while it being an actual Wednesday.
In any case, on Wednesdays in Junior High instead of running the 5 laps around the gymnasium floor we had 'Endurance'. I recall hating it at that time and even now writing about it I feel that anger coming back. Endurance was where we had to run a half mile every week. I suppose it was good to keep us active, but it taught me nothing. Actually it taught me that I hated running. And furthermore to add insult to injury if the weather was bad (and let's face it I grew up in a Chicago Suburb, it was bad ... a lot), but if the weather was bad we had to run inside and the 'leader' for that day had to lead all the laps and everyone had to be behind that person. Oh my goodness, the horror, it's all coming back to me.
In High School I only had to take part in a gym courses my Freshman year because I was in band. I'm not sure I saw the correlation then, nor do I now, but basically by being in band it was a 'Get out of Gym Free' Card. Now that's not to say that being in band wasn't grueling, looking back I wonder how I made it. I was in Marching Band, a Concert Band, Pep Band, and Jazz Band. It's cool, I was a band geek, what's it to you? But seriously. Marching Band was rough, long hours learning drills, counting, in the sun, in the heat, in the cold, in the dark. Oh and while carrying and playing an instrument. Moral of the story, in High School I pretty much, probably, only ever ran as a Freshman and then never thought about it again.
I went away to college. I knew no one. My family, friends, and even boyfriend at the time were 6 hours away. As a vegetarian I suffered in finding proper food to eat and nearly relied on a diet of cereal and salad my first semester. I quickly went the opposite direction of gaining the Freshman 15 and lost it instead. I went to school at a beautiful campus with a lot of natural space, woods, a lake, and even a 2.2 mile path around the lake. I started by walking around the path to take photos of things like trees reflected in the lake or dead trees that weren't removed but just left to be with nature.
At random I started to run one day. I wasn't fast, but I ran for a bit, then I'd walk. I eventually got to the point where I could run the 2.2 mile loop. In fact I eventually got to the point that I'd run the path and then head off campus to further my run. I kept active and stayed busy.
I did an internship at Walt Disney World for a semester early in 2001 and I continued my running there. I had no limits. I'd just go. Maybe just down the road. Maybe to the formerly named Downtown Disney (2.3 miles each way). I'd run. In fact, I know on more than one occasion I worried my roommates because I'd say I was going running and I'd go. I'd be gone. I'd come back, but at that time in 2001 it wasn't very easy to track me as I ran. I'd lose track of time and I'd be gone longer than even I anticipated.
I continued my running into the Fall of 2001. In fact the day of my accident, I ran that morning. And just as fast as my accident happened, running was taken away from me. I suffered through (and eventually overcame) 9 knee surgeries. With each surgery after my accident running became further from my reach. I was told numerous time I wouldn't run. I would try. I would fail. I would try again asking for help, begging for a solution. My Physical Therapist would try taping my knee in place, or we'd get another brace ordered. I'd fail.
I eventually started walking daily and even adopted dogs and would walk with them. It wasn't the same for me. I would remember running and remember being able to get lost either physically going off path or mentally just having no cares in the world. And then I just stopped. I stopped it all. I stopped walking for exercise. Looking back I can't even recall what triggered the stop. Why I stopped. What lies I told myself that it was okay to stop. But I stopped.
Today. Today is my officially Runniversary. Or perhaps I should call it my Re-Runniversary? Either way, today. Last year on this date I went to a 5k training run. I had signed up for a 5k on January 1st and there was a two month weekly training program associated with it. Last year on this date I ran for 1 minute. And then I'd walk for a minute. The goal was to get to a cabinet company sign and then back. The total time was less than 15 minutes and the total distance was less than 1/4 mile. But I ran.
I diligently went weekly to run. I dreaded and feared it. We ran outside and there were some weeks that we ran in snow. The weather wasn't why I dreaded it. Each week was a new challenge. Each week we had a distance goal of where to make it to. Each week the distance was further and the walking was less. Each week I was afraid all of those times I was told I'd never run again that something would happen and I'd never run again. Eventually with three weeks to go before the 5k I was training for I was running a 5k every week. I was running again and the feelings of dread and fear were escaping me with each step I took.
It's now been a year since I started running again. The number of times I was told I would never run again has long been outweighed by the number of miles I've run. I keep track of my runs and while I may not be getting any faster, I'm running. I log my miles and if it wasn't for the logging of my miles I may have missed my own runniversary today. This gem of a reminder popped up after I logged my run this morning. I actually thought to myself "Really, it's been a year already?" And with that thought I can only imagine I'm going to log that many more miles over the next year and I can't wait to see what the two year anniversary card looks like.
In any case, on Wednesdays in Junior High instead of running the 5 laps around the gymnasium floor we had 'Endurance'. I recall hating it at that time and even now writing about it I feel that anger coming back. Endurance was where we had to run a half mile every week. I suppose it was good to keep us active, but it taught me nothing. Actually it taught me that I hated running. And furthermore to add insult to injury if the weather was bad (and let's face it I grew up in a Chicago Suburb, it was bad ... a lot), but if the weather was bad we had to run inside and the 'leader' for that day had to lead all the laps and everyone had to be behind that person. Oh my goodness, the horror, it's all coming back to me.
In High School I only had to take part in a gym courses my Freshman year because I was in band. I'm not sure I saw the correlation then, nor do I now, but basically by being in band it was a 'Get out of Gym Free' Card. Now that's not to say that being in band wasn't grueling, looking back I wonder how I made it. I was in Marching Band, a Concert Band, Pep Band, and Jazz Band. It's cool, I was a band geek, what's it to you? But seriously. Marching Band was rough, long hours learning drills, counting, in the sun, in the heat, in the cold, in the dark. Oh and while carrying and playing an instrument. Moral of the story, in High School I pretty much, probably, only ever ran as a Freshman and then never thought about it again.
I went away to college. I knew no one. My family, friends, and even boyfriend at the time were 6 hours away. As a vegetarian I suffered in finding proper food to eat and nearly relied on a diet of cereal and salad my first semester. I quickly went the opposite direction of gaining the Freshman 15 and lost it instead. I went to school at a beautiful campus with a lot of natural space, woods, a lake, and even a 2.2 mile path around the lake. I started by walking around the path to take photos of things like trees reflected in the lake or dead trees that weren't removed but just left to be with nature.
At random I started to run one day. I wasn't fast, but I ran for a bit, then I'd walk. I eventually got to the point where I could run the 2.2 mile loop. In fact I eventually got to the point that I'd run the path and then head off campus to further my run. I kept active and stayed busy.
I did an internship at Walt Disney World for a semester early in 2001 and I continued my running there. I had no limits. I'd just go. Maybe just down the road. Maybe to the formerly named Downtown Disney (2.3 miles each way). I'd run. In fact, I know on more than one occasion I worried my roommates because I'd say I was going running and I'd go. I'd be gone. I'd come back, but at that time in 2001 it wasn't very easy to track me as I ran. I'd lose track of time and I'd be gone longer than even I anticipated.
I continued my running into the Fall of 2001. In fact the day of my accident, I ran that morning. And just as fast as my accident happened, running was taken away from me. I suffered through (and eventually overcame) 9 knee surgeries. With each surgery after my accident running became further from my reach. I was told numerous time I wouldn't run. I would try. I would fail. I would try again asking for help, begging for a solution. My Physical Therapist would try taping my knee in place, or we'd get another brace ordered. I'd fail.
I eventually started walking daily and even adopted dogs and would walk with them. It wasn't the same for me. I would remember running and remember being able to get lost either physically going off path or mentally just having no cares in the world. And then I just stopped. I stopped it all. I stopped walking for exercise. Looking back I can't even recall what triggered the stop. Why I stopped. What lies I told myself that it was okay to stop. But I stopped.
Today. Today is my officially Runniversary. Or perhaps I should call it my Re-Runniversary? Either way, today. Last year on this date I went to a 5k training run. I had signed up for a 5k on January 1st and there was a two month weekly training program associated with it. Last year on this date I ran for 1 minute. And then I'd walk for a minute. The goal was to get to a cabinet company sign and then back. The total time was less than 15 minutes and the total distance was less than 1/4 mile. But I ran.
I diligently went weekly to run. I dreaded and feared it. We ran outside and there were some weeks that we ran in snow. The weather wasn't why I dreaded it. Each week was a new challenge. Each week we had a distance goal of where to make it to. Each week the distance was further and the walking was less. Each week I was afraid all of those times I was told I'd never run again that something would happen and I'd never run again. Eventually with three weeks to go before the 5k I was training for I was running a 5k every week. I was running again and the feelings of dread and fear were escaping me with each step I took.
It's now been a year since I started running again. The number of times I was told I would never run again has long been outweighed by the number of miles I've run. I keep track of my runs and while I may not be getting any faster, I'm running. I log my miles and if it wasn't for the logging of my miles I may have missed my own runniversary today. This gem of a reminder popped up after I logged my run this morning. I actually thought to myself "Really, it's been a year already?" And with that thought I can only imagine I'm going to log that many more miles over the next year and I can't wait to see what the two year anniversary card looks like.
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