Posts Tagged by ode to running

Hello from the West Coast!!

This week I’m swapping coasts to attend a conference for work, and I have to tell you all – after only a couple of hours here, I’m ready to relocate. Sorry New England – but I don’t miss your humid summer weather one bit.

Anyway, while I’m off exploring my temporary home, I have a special guest post for you. I’m really excited to be able to share another Ode to Running with you. Meggie, from The Thinks I Can Think is here to share her Ode. I love her story, and I hope you do too!

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Meggie’s Ode to Running

True story: I wrote my medical school admissions essay on how I wasn’t a runner and all of my friends were.

Ok, somewhat of an exaggeration, but my personal statement’s opening story was that of my friend trying to convince me in the 6th grade to run cross country rather than try out for cheerleading as “6th graders never make the squad.” In all fairness, she had no idea I was a gymnast and throwing standing back tucks was my forte.

Sweet warm-ups circa 1997

Don’t worry, we became best friends and I’m now her bridesmaid (and I thank her for causing a story that made for a good enough essay to get me into medical school!)

Cheerleader with her two running friends

In light of my essay, I consider it somewhat ironic that medical school is when I fell in love with running.

Although I played tennis all throughout high school and college (go NYU!), I always dreaded running. Even the few warm up laps before practice were painful.

This is so boring!
How do people find this fun?
Why would anyone every want to do this as a sport?!?

That pretty much sums up my thoughts towards running for the first 22 years of my life. I didn’t understand how I could play 3 hours of tennis easily, but running for 30 straight minutes was like torture.

I look like Maria Sharapova, right?

Stalking one of my favorite players, Robby Ginepri

When I started medical school in NYC, tennis wasn’t really an option anymore. Court times are expensive and tennis is a sport that requires a lot of, well, coordination. You have to reserve a court time, find someone who can hit at that same time, bring balls, get your racquets restrung, etc. I was a little lost without a competitive outlet, but I figured I’d need to get used to it as I thought my competitive days were over.

I’d see other students leaving from the medical school dorm in the morning for their morning run. To be honest, it made me kind of mad. Why couldn’t I like running? Why wasn’t running so easy and enjoyable for me like it was for these people? What secret did they know that I hadn’t been let in on?

I tried running a few times on my own. It. Was. Terrible. I chalked it up to the fact that I just wasn’t “made” for running.

Around January of my first year of medical school, my former teammate, Erika, mentioned she was training for a marathon. I was, first and foremost, jealous of how much she probably got to eat and, second, perplexed by how she could find running for that long “fun.”

Being a former tennis player like me, I asked Erika how on earth she could enjoy running after hanging up her rackets. She told me she made it social and suggested I come run with her on Friday after work. I agreed, figuring it would be something manageable for me, such as 2 miles, since she told me she “couldn’t run too far because she had her long run the next day.” She then suggested we do this “little loop that I usually do, it’s about 5 miles.” I told her she was insane and there was no way I could run 5 miles without needing an ambulance.

Somehow she got me to go run with her…and I made it! I ran 5 miles without stopping. We ran super slow, but the sense of accomplishment I felt after that little 5 mile run gave me a glimpse at that “secret” of enjoying running that I hadn’t been privy to for so many years.

After I a few more Friday 5 mile runs, Erika suggested I sign up for a 10K race with her running club. I was pretty reticent because a running club sounded like it was for “runners,” and I definitely didn’t put myself in that category. Plus, I didn’t want to have everyone wait on me to finish, as I would surely be the slowest.

Somehow I was still persuaded to not only sign up for that 10K, but to go to Erika’s running club. And, to my surprise, 2 of those “running clubbers” offered to run that entire 10K with me, making sure I “made it” and had a good time. Guess what…I did! After I finished that race, I was pretty hooked.

Not my first 10K, but one of the first races I ran, that Erika ran with me. Apparently, this was a stimulating conversation we were having. At that point, I was just trying to finish, no time goals or anything.

That was 2009. Since then I’ve completed numerous races, including 2 marathons, run all over NYC, and rekindled my competitive fire that I thought would need to quelled for the rest of my life.

A lot of people question how I fit in running with medical school. Most think running would add stress to my already stressful life. And, yes, sometimes fitting in time to run can be, well, stressful. However, on the whole, running itself has, I believe, made me a better medical student.

Giving myself an outlet to challenge myself in has buffered the challenges of medical school. Pushing myself in a workout makes reading for a few hours on the intricacies of gallbladder disease seem not so bad. I’ve found that the more I push myself in one arena, the harder I start to work in the other. And, maybe this is just coincidental, but on days that I run I find myself a lot calmer at the hospital than on days I don’t.

Besides the mental health benefits, the reasons I kept running are almost too numerous to list. I love a good “conversational” run with friends. I love the feeling of setting a new PR or running a time you never thought you’d be able to. I love competing in races, even if it is only versus my “former self.” I love being outside. I love finding that extra gear at the end a race I never knew I had. I love trying a new workout. I love buying more tempo shorts that I don’t need. I love proving other people wrong. I love being able to fit into my skinny jeans. I love setting goals.

Proud products of NYU Athletics Golden Era

Happy and hungry with a new marathon PR! 3:48:03

I know my life as a resident and doctor will surely be busy. Nevertheless, I think something will still keep me lacing up my shoes every day.

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Thanks so much for sharing Meggie! If you want to read more from Meggie, check out her blog!  And you all know how much I love sharing other runner’s stories, so if you’d like to be featured on HOTR, just send me an email!

A new year is exciting because it can mean a fresh start. It’s a time to step back and evaluate where we are now, and where we want to be;  and a time to set new goals that will help us actually get there. I’m sure for many of us, some of those goals and resolutions will be health and fitness related. Maybe you’ve even decided that this will be the year you’re going to start running.

Unfortunately, putting the goal on paper is the easy part. Actually getting out the door may be another thing altogether. Sometimes, you may just need a little extra motivation to actually get moving. Well, if that’s the case, you’re in luck because I’ve got just the thing to help kick start your new year’s running goals — a new Ode to Running! Today, Cathy from Fiscally Chic has shared her running story, and I think it’s a great one.

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Cathy’s Ode To Running

Hi, Health on the Run, I’m Cathy from Fiscally Chic. Generally, I blog about “saving money with style.” I also post recipes, talk about running, and share other things that inspire me. I recently completed my first marathon, so I’d like to thank Lauren for giving me an opportunity to spill the juicy details of my relationship with running.

Our relationship is best described as the plotline of a romantic comedy. Running and I hated each other at the beginning, but you knew we’d be together by the end of the movie. We hit a few rough patches, but now we’re living happily ever after. It’s all rainbows, butterflies, and sweaty socks

Let me take you to the beginning. Some of my first memories of running (beyond backyard) were that running was punishment. I played soccer through 8^th grade and running laps was just something to get through. I should have known that running would be in my future since I played midfield and ran up and down the field for the whole game.

Running soon became cross-training when I began to swim competitively. I swam year-round and for my high school and college teams, focusing on middle distance and distance freestyle. The endurance was obviously there and I could run a couple of miles fairly easily. Once I retired from swimming, I had to find something to fill my time. Why not train for the St. Louis half marathon? Our conference meet was during February and the half was in April. I was clearly in shape, just not running shape.

I signed up for the race since I needed a goal to motivate me to work out. This was 2006. It’s still true at the beginning of 2011. I trained with my boyfriend John (now husband). We ran the entire race together and, as a joke, crossed the finish line holding hands. The time wasn’t too shabby at 2:06, but my right knee felt awful! The IT band completely froze up and I couldn’t bend my knee once I crossed the finish line! I learned the hard way not to run too hard, too fast.

Of course I had to do it again in 2007. I was determined to improve my time, train smarter, and avoid injury. I trained by myself (in between grad school and studying for the CPA exam) and raced with a pace group. I finished in 1:55 with some pain in the left knee, but nothing major. Was I hooked?

Not exactly. After that, I had a bit of a falling away from running. I would run a few miles here and there or the 6 mile loop around Forest Park. But without a major race to train for, I had minimal motivation. Then I started working full time. I didn’t have the energy to run after sitting at a desk all day. Of course I got my butt in gear for the wedding in September 2008, but I couldn’t commit to the hours needed to train for another half marathon.

During the fall/winter of 2008, my knees really started to bother me. The left knee would make crunching noises while walking up stairs. The right was more painful. Both would bother me if I had been sitting or driving for too long. I broke down and met with a sports doctor/orthopedic surgeon (Doctor #1). He ordered X-rays and MRIs for both knees. He was adamant that I needed surgery, but wasn’t sure if it would completely fix me. Or if I would be able to run again. I asked if I could try PT, but he still pushed surgery. I talked it over with John, my Dad (who used to run and had knee surgery), John’s Dad (a doctor), and a friend (an occupational therapist). Obviously I cried about it.

I told Doctor #1 I wouldn’t go under the knife and took my X-rays and MRIs. I didn’t do anything for a while since I wasn’t even sure what to do. In the spring of 2009, I finally asked for a second opinion based on a recommendation from my OT friend. I flat out told Doctor #2 that I wanted to be able to run again and wanted to try PT first. And burst into tears at the thought of surgery. Who knew I cared about running so much? Doctor #2 handed me some tissues and promptly prescribed PT. Best. Thing. EVER!

A few months of PT later (and a new found friendship with a foam roller), I was able to run a few pain-free miles. And since you know I need a goal, I signed up for a Halloween 10K. Dressed as a hot dog, I ran the 10K! Not my fastest pace ever, but I had fun! And I was running again!

In December 2009, I moved to Chicago, started a new job, and met some new friends through running. A new work friend (with multiple BQ’s) convinced me to register for the Chicago marathon. Two half marathons later and I had my big marathon debut on 10.10.10! It was definitely a rough 26.2 miles thanks to the unseasonably warm October weather. I finished in 4:45:42.

Yes, I’ll probably do another one. I love a good challenge and want to improve my time. Plus, I enjoyed running through the different neighborhoods with 1+ million people cheering us on. My family took the L around the city while John rode his bike around the race course. While wearing matching pink shirts

Where are running and I now? It’s freezing in Chicago and I’m not as hardcore as Lauren. I still go for the occasional run (sometimes up to 8 miles) and did a 5 mile turkey trot over Thanksgiving. And I’ve signed up for the 2011 St. Louis half marathon. It’s a bit too soon to start training for that, so I’ve been doing a little spinning, weights, and other cross training activities. But don’t you worry, running and I will be best buds again in 2011.

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Thank you Cathy!! If you want to read more about Cathy and her tips to save money with style (as well as her adventures in running), visit her blog Fiscally Chic.

As always, if you’re interested in sharing your own Ode to Running, just send me an email at lauren [at] healthontherun [dot] net. And you don’t have to be a blogger to participate.

It’s been 4 days since my marathon, and although my legs are still tired, my head is already starting to forget the pain of those 26.2. As a result, my crazy runner brain is already dreaming up plans for my next race. I think it might be a disease.

In the meantime, to continue with all the marathon-love on the blog this week, I’m pretty excited to share another running story with you all! Lizzy is running the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, so it’s the perfect time to share her Ode to Running.

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Hi everyone, it’s Lizzy from Food To Run For.  Here is my journey from Sprinter to Marathoner.

My ode to running has been a long one; I started running competitively as a child at local track meets and went on to run track in high school and college.  But I was a sprinter and there is a huge difference between running 1 lap around a track (400 meters) and running 26.2.

I’m here to tell you running has never been easy for me, but it has always been my passion. I started off running the 100 meters and ended my high school career as a successful 800 meter runner.  But my favorite event? The relays. I succeeded most with teammates.  Actually, my sprint medley team went to Nationals and my 4X400 team still holds the school record in both Indoor and Outdoor track.  My high school team went from a losing 1-7 record my freshman year to an 8-0 record and State Champs my Senior Year. Glory days, I know.

But the truth is, I love running. I love every aspect of it.  It teaches me so much about mental ability, about commitment, about passion and about desire. I’ve made so many friends through the sport and I’ve learned so many life lessons. But I have to be honest. It’s really hard for me.  I wrote a few weeks ago about how the sport tortures me and it’s true.  There are days I suffer through my runs and there are day that I love every second about being out there. There is something to be said about being able to lace up your shoes, put on your running clothes and just step outside the door; it’s liberating, empowering and provides a huge sense of accomplishment. And of course, my favorite part of running, is finishing.

In college, my passion for running waned and I ended up quitting my Junior year.  It took me a long time to get the drive back but once I did, I couldn’t stop.  After finishing my second half marathon, I was ready for a harder challenge.  My running buddy (who has run 12 marathons) got into the New York Marathon and encouraged me to fundraise.  I thought she was crazy. But then I thought about it.  I wanted a harder challenge. So I fundraised and had a successful running summer before suffering an Achilles injury last September.  I ended up deferring my number due to bad advice from doctors and a poor Physical Therapist. When I switched to a new Physical Therapist, I learned how to run through aches and pains safely and effectively.  As I said, running isn’t supposed to be easy. Running is difficult and challenging even for the best athletes.  But it’s that challenge that makes so many of us keep going back for more.

So here I am, about to embark on my second marathon.

A huge thanks to all of you who commented, tweeted, or emailed me feedback on my last post! It’s clearly an issue I feel strongly about, and I was thankful all of you took the time to read and join the discussion. And if you haven’t read it yet (or the great comments), you can find Part 1 on Alex’s blog…and then come back so you can read Part 2. I really think it’s important to continue having these types of discussions in the blog-world.

And now for something a little on the lighter side. Tonight I’m happy to share the 2nd post in my Ode to Running series. This week’s post is written by Becky who blogs at Beck on the Run. Becky and I met over the summer, and quickly bonded over a mutual obsession with running, nut butters, and crazy 24-hour relay races. I’m especially excited to feature Becky’s ode to running because she’ll be running her first marathon on Sunday! Her story is inspirational to both veteran runners and all you newbies out there — it’s amazing to see how far she’s come in just one year!

Becky’s Ode to Running

I never planned to become a runner. Running actually didn’t appeal to me at all. I tried it a couple of times – a few laps around the football field, the occasional mile. It didn’t feel good. Who gets pleasure out of sore legs, burning lungs, and salty sweat? Not me.

Running found me. I had been spinning, walking, and stretching at the gym for a year. I was getting bored. My aunt and uncle noticed and convinced me to run a 5K with them. It was two weeks away. Two weeks! I was not ready, but they told me I was fit enough to do it and I believed them.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, I ran three miles for the first (and only) time before the race. It hurt, but I did it. Five days later, I lined up at the start of the Shawn Nassaney Memorial 5K. There were 200 people crowded around me. It felt like 2,000.

For 3.1 miles, I raced. I went out too fast. I panted. I cramped. I ached. I thought about quitting, but my aunt, my cheerleader, talked me through it. I stumbled across the finish line.

I didn’t smile that day, but inside, I felt stronger than ever before. I cried tears of joy. I ran a race. I FINISHED a race. Everyone at that race seemed was so inspiring. They ran and laughed with friends. They bounced with jitters. They cheered at the end. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to run.

The following Sunday, I found a local 5K. I registered. Again, my aunt and uncle joined me, encouraging through the entire race.

That day, I smiled. I smiled the entire time. I wasn’t nervous or anxious. I ran in the moment and I felt alive. For 27 minutes, I gave everything I had to that race. I fell in love with running.

The excitement didn’t fall with the leaves. It grew. I started replacing my usual Saturday spin sessions with short runs. My friends and family joined in the fun. We chatted about our days, our feelings, everything. I found myself looking forward to waking up early on Saturday morning, lacing up my sneakers, and getting out in the fresh air.

In the past year, running and I have shared so much!

We’ve made new friends.

We’ve explored new places.

We’ve dreamed BIG dreams.

We’ve reached new distances.

We’ve outgrown skinny jeans!

I don’t run just for fitness. I run because it’s a part of me. Our relationship continues to grow and change. There are good days and bad…but mostly good! It is a bond that cannot be broken. Thank you, running!

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Thank you so much for sharing, Becky! Good luck on Sunday! I know you’ll rock that marathon!

And of course, if you are interested in sharing your own Ode to Running, send me an email at lauren [at] healthontherun [dot] net. You don’t have to be a blogger to participate.

While I’m caught in no-computer-limbo, Jen graciously volunteered to guest post for me. I’m very excited about this post, because it’s going to kick off a new series here on Health on the Run!

For those of you that don’t know, Jen is currently training for 2 marathons and hopes to qualify for Boston this fall. She’s one of my favorite runners and her passion for the sport is contagious. But every runner has to start somewhere — most of us weren’t actually born running. Which is why I asked her to write a post about her path to becoming a runner, and how it has become such an important part of her life. In other words, I asked her to write her own Ode To Running.

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Hi, Health on the Run Readers! I’m Jen from This Runner’s Trials. Lauren asked me to guest post for her, and since she is one of my favorite bloggers and friends, I jumped at the chance

Running is my most treasured passion, and it’s how I define myself. But this wasn’t always the case.

I didn’t set out to become a runner and I have no weight loss success story. My love affair with running was not pre-meditated. In fact, I never saw it coming.

I joined the track team freshmen year of high school because I was sick of softball. My favorite part of that sport was running the bases. Becoming a sprinter seemed like a natural fit for me.

I ran short distance for 4 years, and was pretty decent at it. I loved going fast, enjoyed hanging out with my friends, and there were hot boys on my team. What more could a teenager ask for?

But I was also plagued by shin splints. I couldn’t run for more than 2 laps around the track (a half mile) without feeling intense pain. I never ran an entire mile continuously my whole track career.

In college, I tried out for the crew team. I made the team and was pretty decent. I loved the feeling of being on the water, competing, hanging out with my friends, and checking out the hot guys on the men’s team (my boy craziness worked out for me; I eventually married a teammate).

Rowing and I were a match made in heaven. Except for one part of it: running. Sometimes we had “land” workouts where we’d have to run for 3 miles or so. I couldn’t do it… because of my shins.

I was sent to months of physical therapy trying to fix the problem. We eventually did (turns out I was running toe-heel instead of heel-toe because of my years as a sprinter). Even though the issue was solved, I was still terrified of running. I’d tell my coach my shins still hurt so I could do a different land workout instead. I was really just afraid of failing.

The summer between my junior and senior years of college- that all changed.

My mother got a call that a very close family friend was in a car accident and was left brain dead. He was on life support, and was going to be taken off that evening. We were going to the hospital as soon as my dad got home in a couple of hours.

I didn’t know what to do. I had never lost someone so unexpectedly. My heart ached for his wife and children. I told my mom I was going to workout. “Workout” meant I was going to the gym to use the rowing machine or elliptical.

But my car didn’t take me to the gym that day; it took me to my favorite park where I usually walked my dog. But for some unknown reason, on this day, I ran.

Sure my run was really a run/walk. I was in shape but not in running shape. I just enjoyed being alone with my thoughts.

For the next year, I continued to run. I ran a few days each week for 30 minutes to an hour each time. I had no idea how far I ran or what my pace was. And I didn’t really care.

Then some friends asked me to run a 10k race with them. I had no idea if I could run that distance, but I signed up anyway.

I ran it and had a ball. I finished the race in just over 51 minutes, won my age group, and took home a trophy.

I had never been so proud of myself. I spent my whole life being mediocre and was always just pretty decent at everything I did. But on this day, I was the best! (I even beat that crew teammate who turned out to be my husband )

But it wasn’t the trophy that made me so proud; It was the fact that I did something I never thought was possible. I assumed I couldn’t even run 10 minute miles, so running a 10k at a much faster pace filled me with so much joy.

Running helped me get through grad school, cope with family illness and made wedding planning tolerable. Running also made the good stuff better. The day I landed my first real job, I had one of the best runs of my life.

Running brings me clarity and boosts my self-esteem. I don’t settle for being mediocre anymore. I now pour my heart into everything I do, because running has shown me that with hard work anything is possible.

Not too long ago, I was the girl who couldn’t run a mile. Now, I’m the girl who runs marathons and dabbles in triathlons. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

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Thank you so much Jen, for sharing your running story! If you’re interested in hearing more about Jen and her trials, I encourage you to check out her awesome blog This Runner’s Trials.

Finally, I am putting out a call to runners of all shapes, sizes and speeds to help me spread the love of running! If you’ve got a running story and you’re interested in contributing to the Ode to Running series, please send me a message through the blog or email me at lauren [at] healthontherun [dot] net. You don’t have to be training for a marathon or competing in triathlons to be a part of this. I firmly believe that if you run, you are a runner. Period. It doesn’t matter if you run 1 mile a week or 100, if running has impacted you in some way, I’d love to hear your story!