The Beginning of a Running Journey
This year I am thankful for zoom calls with family and friends, front line health care works, local restaurants offering curbside pickup, the Raleigh greenway system, my brothers and sisters fighting for social justice for all, and running.
The beginning of the pandemic hit me hard. The sudden cancellations of all plans, the removal of the structure of my routine, and the sea of unknowns were crushing. I was overwhelmed, scared, and unsettled. I found myself spending way too many hours in my bedroom worrying about the state of the world. I was frustrated that I felt so small and incapable of fixing the mess around me. So one day I decided to get outside... and run.
I have never been a runner. I’ve always told myself that “I can’t run” and it would never be something I found even remotely enjoyable. I knew plenty of people who ran, and I thought they were superhumans with so much more ability than me. I was constantly telling myself that would never be me because I wasn’t fit enough. But racing pandemic thoughts and ample free time lead me to step out of these thoughts and start my running journey.
When I began, I could barely run half a mile. So, I set a goal of running one whole mile, without walking. I worked at this and went on a few runs until I DID IT. Then I decided I wanted to run a mile and a half, and I DID IT. I was starting to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and progression I saw. At this point, I decided to enlist the help a of runner I knew to help me train for a 5K. A whole 3.1 miles! Running a 5K had been one of my goals for when I ‘got my life together’, but the pandemic was making it clear that my life was not going to get ‘together’ for the foreseeable future. While I waited, this goal was something I could work on to keep me busy. I ran around my neighborhood a couple of times a week and took my bike out on the weekends to train. On August 28th I ran my first 5K without walking (*happy tears were shed*) and on September 24, 2020, I ran my first 5K virtual race. Since then, I’ve continued to work on my running and can now run over 6 miles! (I never thought I’d be able to say that.)
I am NOT the fastest. I am NOT the strongest. I canNOT run the farthest. But – I AM faster than I was when I started. I AM stronger than I was before. And, I CAN run a heck of a lot farther than I ever could.
Running has taught me how to dedicate more time for myself, to channel my energy into a progressive outlet, and to be grateful for all that my body CAN do! I’m grateful to have found running during these hard times and I hope everyone can find something to keep them sane right now too.
The pandemic is not over, and neither is my running journey.
By Alison Waldman