Running milestones & physical health
A little late gloating, but for the first time in years I ran 100 miles in a single month!
We purchased a treadmill at the beginning of February. A year of pandemic life seemed like the right time for this particular indulgence. Nothing fancy, a lower-tier Nordic Track without Bluetooth, a screen, or even a USB port. Being in the living room next to an outlet and near a television these additions seemed unnecessary. It has a maximum speed of 12mph, a ludicrous pace I will probably never attempt being more of a slow-and-steady type of runner. Testament to that philosophy, since the February purchase I’ve run around 260 miles. Small potatoes for many runners, but a welcome achievement in reacquiring my distance running ritual. I’m also down twenty pounds!
Like many people, physical health and sustaining an exercise routine have always been elusive personal struggles. Mine have waxed and waned throughout injuries, accidents, moves, breakups, mental health episodes, jobs, heavy workloads, and more. Which is a shame because of how beneficial running particularly has been for my health and human growth.
In high school I ran for the cross country and track teams briefly, but it was primarily to lose weight. Running wasn’t enjoyable when I began with my hefty frame and fresh out of back surgery. I was a complete amateur, more likely to sit in my grandma’s dining room playing video games and drawing than finding a way to exercise. I knew no one who could be a running mentor, nobody in my family who even considered the sport useful unless “being chased by a wild animal.” I had no guidance and no concern for how dangerous an activity it can be, especially for someone with a spine still actively fusing with titanium rods.
It wasn’t the healthiest period in my life for a number of reasons. I’m not super proud of my eating habits or my running dynamic. As odd as it sounds, running didn’t become enjoyable until I slapped on a pair of Vibram Five Fingers, fixed (slowly and painfully) my form, and set out into the pristine beauty of the Austin Greenbelt. Next thing you know, I’m tearing through Born to Run and trekking half-marathons in sandals. It dawned upon me that in order to enjoy running, I needed to eliminate my pain points and make it ultra-accessible. Like living close to trails, using wireless headphones, wearing footwear and clothing made for the kind of endurance running I wanted to do.
Fast forward a decade and my love of running is one of the greatest joys in my life, hampered only on occasion by accidents like the broken foot I experienced most recently that kept me down and out for several months until I could rehabilitate it partly with rest and partly through controlled treadmill runs. Despite such setbacks, it feels truly wonderful to be running seriously again. So much so that I’m hoping to make 100 miles per month the default goal.
P.S. To the poor souls below my partner and I in our apartment complex: I am truly sorry for any noise you experience at the expense of my losing weight. ❤️🏃🏽♂️