I’m not sure how many people know the importance of running is to my life. And that’s partially because it’s something that has sort of been pushed into the shadows of my life. Still, it’s significant to my mental health and well being, something I’ve been doing since I was twelve.
While I run every morning– and run the dogs separately– I had slowed down significantly over the years, not really aware of it at first. I had my uterus removed in 2018 and it was the first time I’d experienced a long layoff (something like four to six weeks, if I remember correctly) from running. I was allowed to walk and swim, but I couldn’t run.
When I did finally start, I won’t lie– it was hard. It took me a while to build back up to where I’d been. I somewhat got there, but I don’t think I was near where I had started before the surgery.
I ran and swam a lot during the pandemic, mostly because I was home. We had been used to taking several trips to LA each year and suddenly we weren’t taking any. I didn’t realize it at first, but I didn’t take any days off for about a year. When we travel, I tend to take a day off or maybe go for a walk instead, using that as break time. But with nowhere to go, I kept running.
At some point last year I began to track my mileage on my Garmin watch. I had used it for steps, but thought about seeing how I was doing. And that’s when reality set in. Wow was I slow.
I committed myself then to finding a way forward, a way faster. And once again, I won’t lie– it’s been hard. Many mornings, like most of them, I don’t want to run hard. I don’t want to run an extra mile. But I’m finding the more I tackle the mental game, the better I feel later. “Oh wow, I did it! I pushed through!” The watch has made me honest– helping me understand where I need to run harder.
As we age, it’s easy to slow down and sometimes not run or exercise at all. But continuing to find ways to push ourselves is important because forcing that drive within ourselves gives us new confidence and inspiration.