Summertime Exercising

The summer nights are getting a bit cooler, at least in the current weather system, and the runners are out. I have the privilege of seeing people who don't appear to be naturally athletic out enjoying the summertime. I must say I love that. Tonight I saw a man out by himself, a group of four women doing a walk/jog, a middle-aged guy riding his bike, some girls out for a walk, and more. It's just so inspiring! Get me out of this car and let me join you! (Well, I don't want to join the people I see out in the middle of the day in August. That's just crazy.)

This week the bike paths have been calling to me. "Come back, we miss you!" I am so thankful for the many trails and bike paths in my little suburb. I am so blessed, and it will be so good to get back out there. My legs are still unable to handle running, and I am more and more ready to spend lots of money on some medical tests. Running: you are worth it.

Expression

This year has seen two extremes for me in the running scene. I trained the hardest and longest I have ever trained in order to run my longest race to date, a 26.2 mile race in Kenosha, WI. Then I jogged some miles here and there to get back into running after the race and discovered that my left knee was not able to handle running anymore. I don't really know what happened. I don't really think of it as an injury because the word "injury" implies to me that something happened at some point in time. This thing in my knee so far seems to be just overuse, maybe too much mileage added in too short of a time, and poor form mixed to create an injury.

I took off 4 weeks in June, then when my knee was still bad, took off another 2, now another 2. Still not better. I was just in to see the doctor again, and he said another 6 weeks of rest and then "we'll see...". It's disappointing for me on so many levels.

Running is a form of expression for me. I'm not expressing anything to anybody except myself, but it is a way for my spirit to be refreshed. I love to drink in nature's beauty. I love to push myself physically, releasing endorphins. I love the way I feel as I lace up my shoes and reset my watch. I love the grind of step after step that on some runs I notice and other runs my mind just internalizes a floating or flying feeling. Some runs are about the run itself, but many are not. Many runs are initiated by a need to get in the miles or a desire to work off those extra cookies I ate or to meet a certain goal I have set. However, after I take that first step out the door, the reason for the run no longer matters. I am simply running because that is what I do. I run for me. I run for my health. I run because I need to relax my soul. I run to breathe in spring's smells. I run to defy winter's cold days. I run to revel in summer's beauty. I run to appreciate every last ounce of autumn's gold. I run to focus on God and remind myself of who I am and why I do what I do.

For two months now, I haven't been able to run, bike, or do many exercises. I have 6 weeks or more of the same limits ahead. For all I know, it could be a year. It could be forever. Or it could just be 6 weeks. So I have had to find other ways to fill the void of not running.

Music and dance do help with some of the longing for expression. My soul needs to speak, and it does not use words. It works out perfectly for me that So You Think You Can Dance is on in the summertime. Here is this week's most expression-filled dance, by Melanie Moore and all-star Neil.

Passions and Dreams

Today I met Anna Reyes, the shorter female dancer seen in this video in minutes 2:30-4:13 and 6:30-8, possibly other sections as well, but it is hard to tell in this video. I was so blessed to meet her. She is a friend's son's girlfriend, and we went out to dinner together. It was also a blessing to meet the friend's son, Jordan Maley, who is featured on saxophone in the video below.



As we talked, we came to a point of discussing following our dreams and living with our passions. Jordan lives and breathes music, Anna lives and breathes dance. We discussed the need to follow these passions even when we may be unsure of the how, when, or where of it. If you need to play, you will find a way to play. If you need to dance, you will find a way to dance.

I have been thinking about this since. (I am backwriting by almost a week.) I love to run, although I don't think that the passion is quite as strong as it is for Anna and Jordan. However, I feel better about myself and my tasks and the world around me when I run. I love the feeling of running, even on bad runs. I had a pretty awful run yesterday, but could still acknowledge that the pain was a part of the passion, and I couldn't trade it or erase it without compromising some of the passion. There have been numerous stages in my life when I have completely stopped running, and looking back I know I wasn't at my best during those periods of time.

When I think about living overseas again, I acknowledge that this decision may mean sacrificing running, as it is not appropriate in some cultures and it could also compromise my ministry there. I think I would still try to find a way to run, however, running in circles in my basement as I do when the weather is bad here, or purchasing or importing a treadmill. There were also a few gyms in Bolivia, perhaps I would be able to workout in a gym wherever I end up.

Then there is my future as a teacher. Will I even have time to run, regardless of the country I live in? Will I ever get to run in the daylight again, or would it be only early morning or late night runs? Will there be time to train for another marathon or whatever else I set my sights on? I go back to the conversation with Anna and Jordan. If I need to run, I will find a way to incorporate it into my life.

As I think about this, part of my anxiety about my future in running subsides. I love running, and therefore if I need to run, I will find a way and a where and a how to run.

Jordan will keep playing and Anna will keep dancing. I will keep running. Somehow. Somewhere. Some way. It is a part of us.

Winter Running Revitalized Me

Photo taken from: http://www.womanaroundtown.com/sections/living-around/fighting-the-post-marathon-body-blues

I have always hated winter. I hated being cold. I hated having to wear shoes. I hate that you have to put on 18 things just to go outside. I hated that you can't open your windows. I hated the lack of color. White ground. Gray sky. Black snow. I especially hated being cooped up inside for months at a time.

As a fair-weather runner, I felt like I couldn't force myself to run in the winter. I didn't like slipping on the ice. I thought it was too cold to be outside for extended periods of time. I didn't like it that only half of our sidewalks ever got shoveled, which would mean I was running on iced-over uneven snow, crawling over sheets of ice that had melted and refrozen, dodging cars on the times I retreated to the streets...

This year I decided to train for my first marathon. With a monument birthday coming up, I set the goal of doing my first marathon before that birthday came and went. I had started training for marathons before, only to get too busy or discouraged to continue. This time would be different, I told myself. And oddly, counting back from the date of the next marathon in my area, training start date would be January 1.

I started, and I was uncertain about it yet again. I mean, none of the old winter running problems had gone away, and my schedule hadn't opened up completely. My knees were already hurting before I even started the actual training. Would I be able to do it this time? I had my doubts.

To sum up the last 10 weeks, it has been so good. I began using YakTrax, which are an absolute must for every winter runner. They are like chained rubber bands for your shoes, and they allow me to run on ice without slipping or being afraid. I routed all of my runs on side streets so that I could feel comfortable running on the road and not worry about those unevenly iced sidewalks. My town does have bike paths, but these are not shoveled either, so I stuck to the roads, which allowed me to use googlemaps to know exactly how far I was running, a do-able alternative as I wait for the day I can get one of those amazing GPS Garmin running watches. I use two ear wraps, one over my ears and another around my neck that I can pull up over my cheeks if it gets too cold. And for the absolutely unbearable days, whether the temperatures were below zero or we were having a snowstorm, I retreated to my basement and ran in circles, switching directions every few minutes. (While that wasn't my favorite option, it allowed me to run even without a gym membership and was a great way to test out my new running shoes without taking them into the slush outside.)

It is now March, and I have grown to love winter running. I love that when I warm up, my body still stays cool enough to go for long distances. I love the feeling of the air on my face. On those wonderful days when the sun is out, I love being outside to soak it up. Now my days off are full of restlessness, as I itch to get outside and run again.

I must confess: not every run is good. My long runs are still especially hard, and I wonder if I will be able to do it. But in this winter season, I have learned two things: I can run longer, faster, and farther than I knew I could, and I can actually enjoy winter.

So before the spring blows in, get out there and experience the beauty of winter running. I think you'll like it!