Something that I have discovered within the running community is that people come to running for different reasons at different points in their lives. I was not a runner in high school. Nor did I compete in college (in fact, I was a non-traditional student...went to college later in life, worked full-time, went to school part-time, graduated at the top of my class with two degrees). And while I did participate in sports as a kid, I wasn’t the “sporty” child in my family (that honor would have gone to my sister, Karla). I tried basketball for a couple of years, but I was definitely vertically challenged when it came to that sport. And I might have often forgotten to dribble the ball if (and it was rare) it was passed to me. I played softball mostly, and was an all-star catcher. It was one sport that I was really good at...but the whole hitting and running the bases part was my least favorite thing. I was content just to squat down behind home plate and catch the fast-pitch balls the batters missed...and occasionally dodge an aluminum bat that was thrown out of excitement of scoring a hit. When softball stopped being a fun sport for me, I gave karate a try. And I loved the martial arts. No running required.
That being said, I had some knowledge of people going for runs and running races while I was growing up. My grandpa took up running in his 50s and continued to run up until he had to stop, around the age of 90. Whether we were visiting him in Minnesota, or he was visiting us in New York, he never would miss his daily run. He’s raced various distances, including the Berlin Marathon back when German and Berlin were still divided. So, it only seemed appropriate that when he had to stop running...I picked it up.
I remember a lot of my friends being into running and posting about it on early social media channels. I insisted that I never could be a runner because my knees were bad after a bad car accident while I was in Ireland in 2003. But, one day, while walking around the tiny track at the Floyd County YMCA, I just got bored and told my roommate, Cathy, that I was going to “try” running. She said that if I could run 3 miles in 30 minutes, I could sign up for a 5K race. I managed it (barely) and ended up signing up to run a 5K in Cherokee Park in April 2011. I had NEVER run outside at this point. All of my runs were done at the gym, either on the small track or on the treadmill. So, my first outdoor race and first 5K I went in with one goal...to finish without walking.
I managed just that and I was hooked. I ran close to a 10 minute mile...and probably died a lot on those crazy Cherokee Park hills. But I loved it. And from there on, I made it a point to run outside more than inside, if possible. I became hooked on 5K races, finding one to run pretty much every weekend and even starting to place in my age group. My times were steadily improving...so a friend of mine suggested I take on a half marathon. I knew from all the running books I had read that this would require some sort of training plan, so I found an app that guided me through basic mileage building up to a half marathon. I ran my first half marathon, the Chicago Half Marathon, on September 11, 2011. It took me a couple more years to decide to finally take on my first marathon. I chose the 2013 Chicago Marathon. I had a great day...and even snagged a Boston Qualifying time with a buffer of over 7 minutes.
I discovered that I loved the marathon distance and started running them as often as I could in as many different places as I could. I was a Marathon Maniac by January 2014. But, if you know me, you all know that my Boston Marathon in 2015 didn’t go as planned. Three days before leaving for Boston, after months of physical therapy for hip pain, I was finally diagnosed with a hip labrum tear. My doctor said that I couldn’t make the injury worse by going to Boston...so I did. It was the most painful, longest, hardest race I have ever run...and it took me awhile to acknowledge what a feat it was to get from that start line to the finish line on zero training.
The come back from that was long and tedious and it showed me just how important running was in my life. A few more setbacks happened, but my comeback was one that taught me to never take any run for granted. With the help of amazing medical professionals, some very patient physical therapists, and some great running coaches, I have had a much smoother, and less injury-prone return to running.
This year, my big race was going to be my fourth star in the Abbott World Majors – the Berlin Marathon. As of right now, that race has been postponed/cancelled...and no information has been passed on by the race at this time about what will be offered to the runners who were registered. With the uncertainty of this race season, I’ve been simply focusing on building my base and having fun while on the run.
That being said, I am going to be heading back to Boston in 2021 for what will hopefully be a much better experience on that course!
Favorite distance? I adore the marathon, but after trying to run 8 marathons in one year, I've painfully learned that one or two a year is my sweet spot. So, I've learned to also love the half-marathon, because I can race those all out or just kick back and enjoy as a fun run. There's also such a wide variety of half marathons available, even locally, so they're a lot easier for me to do on a regular basis.
Running advice? Listen to your body, don't punish it. Running can be serious, but never lose the fun, free aspect of it. If you're pushing yourself beyond your limits just because you feel that's what you have to do, maybe you should slow down just a bit and reassess your relationship with the sport. Running should be freeing, not a prison. You should love the run, not dread it.
Why River City Race events? Because there's such a wide variety of races, and since they're local to me, I get to see a bunch of my friends who are a part of the great local running community!
Anything else you'd like to share? We are currently living in strange times, where training and racing together is not an option. With a majority of spring races canceled and the fall ones in question...motivation may be at a bit of a low. Not to mention, with everything being thrown at us in the media, anxiety and stress may be at an all-time high. And a lot of us are so accustomed to running with others, that now taking on solo long runs could seem daunting. Remember to not let your running become a point of stress. Now is not the time to hit PR times, but to pull back on intensity (and perhaps distance), and focus more on keeping the body and mind healthy (let’s face it, if we don’t need to see a doctor or go to the hospital, the better off we are regardless). Save those PRs for those future (non-virtual) races, but keep pushing yourself to be better in the sport, whatever that may look like for you at this moment. Running isn’t cancelled...we all just have to adjust some goals for the time being.