Have you ever had to start over in life? Whether it's your career, a relationship, school, just moving to a new apartment or even a new city, starting over is never easy.
Luckily, running is one of the few areas of life where you can pretty much count on having to start over—at some point or another.
Maybe you took the winter off from running. Maybe you were injured. Maybe you decided to do something else for a while.
Running is one of those areas in life where you can always start again. This is my second year of running. My first year I used the run/walk method, and that worked great for me. But I decided to challenge myself a bit more during my second year. You see, I never thought I could ever run. Ever.
But I persisted, and eventually could run one mile with no walk breaks, then two, then five, then twenty!
That was just a few months ago. A few niggling injuries and a reduced training schedule left me where I am today: starting over. So start over I did, with this great 10K program of which you are a part. (Note to DCRR: put check in mail for shameless plug.)
And after Saturday, March 17 (happy St. Patrick's day!), I'll be taking some time off from running—again. Enforced time off. I'm having some minor surgery and my surgeon has restricted me from any and all cardio for six weeks.
Six weeks!!
See, when all of a sudden you are told you can't run, well, all of a sudden you are dying to.
The good news is I'm not, in fact, dying. (Well, we're all dying. But that's another essay.) I don't have some fatal disease. I should be able to run again at the end of six short (long! endless!) weeks. And when I do start running again, I know that I will be starting over.
But that's OK. It beats the alternative.
So if you find yourself in a similar position, starting over, and annoyed that you can't pick up where you left off, cut yourself some slack. You'll get there.
All it takes is time and persistence.
Oh, and more than a little desire:
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3 comments:
Words of wisdom, Jeanne. (Jeanne has finished two marathons, you know.)
When I started running a few years back, I was brought to a screeching halt twice by tendonitis in, of all places, a single toe. (I think it was from not wearing proper shoes. Go to Fleet Feet or Pacers or Gotta Run, folks.) The only prescription each time was six weeks off. Period. I chafed at the inactivity. (I don't cross train. I should.)
But when the six weeks was up, I had a hard time getting back to running. I dreaded going out to start a run. I didn't have the time to carve out for runs anymore. I'd lost all that prior fitness. I experienced oxygen-hunger in my first few runs. I didn't like it anymore. I had to start over.
You know what those hesitations were? Excuses. A slight lack of will and a diminution of my self-esteem. A giving up because it's too hard. I'll be overweight and just sink down on the couch shut in my house alone and watch TV.
But I got through my doubts and lassitude. I found a little discipline and exhibited a little patience. In week seven I didn't rush out the door and run impulsively and re-injure myself. I didn't ruin running for myself by approaching my re-entry stupidly. I ran once in week seven. I ran twice in week eight. Three times in my third week back. Within the month I was back to running regularly and feeling good about myself. I honored my self with some fitness.
I did this twice, coming back after a forced lay-off. Jeanne is going to do it too when she gets back from surgery. You can do it also if you need too, start over. (Hey! Is anybody out there reading this stuff? We're trying to be helpful!)
Yes!! Someone is reading this stuff. It's funny you write this Peter, b/c you're right. Excuses, laziness and not having enough self esteem are what prevent us from even getting started. The truth is hard to stomach sometimes, but when you search deep down you see what you've tried to ignore for so long. Small, incremental progress really makes such a big difference to sustainability...
Good luck Jeanne - we all know how strong you are. 6 weeks. Piece 'o cake.
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