Running, I guess, has always been a part of most of our lives. Who doesn't run as a child through fields, up hills, to school, through the woods, everywhere?? I was blessed to grow up in the country with 50 acres to call my own. We had a creek, pond, deer, an old apple tree orchard, and so much room to explore. Those carefree days were spent doing what our bodies naturally love to do, running!
As I reached my high-school years, I still enjoyed running down our looooong road with our German Shepard, Susie. The wind would whip across fields almost knocking us down, sometimes icy rain would pour and yet, we still would face it together.
After Jeff & I married, I learned that I had joined with a practical track star! Little did I know, that I would enter a whole new world of running starting shortly after the honeymoon was over. We started simply, just running as far as I could, then further. Eventually, it became like torture to me and was torn with wanting to run, yet it was miserable for me. My lungs hurt, burned with each breath. If you've ever had asthma, it was very similar.
We couldn't figure out what the problem was. Maybe I just loved running through fields & over logs over road running, maybe it just wasn't "fun" anymore, maybe just going to fast too soon??? Turns out, it was none of these. I had very low Iron and once I started taking supplements, I could breathe easier, freer, and began to enjoy it once again.
We ran together in many runs, relays, tria-thalons and more for many years, on and off, between having 4 babies, moving here and there, traveling around the world & just living life.
I have been chased by dogs, bitten by dogs, chased dogs myself, carried pepper spray, ran in slippery ice, hail, sleet, extreme humidity & more. I'm not a fast runner, I've never really won anything for my efforts. But I can honestly say, I don't regret it either. I love feeling like I could run forever, up hills and down. I love running with no pain. Jeff can no longer run because of an injury in his knee. I pray for his healing so we can once again run together like we used to.
Now I run for different reasons, sometimes just to stay in shape, or for a cause, My dream is to run a marathon, even a half-marathon would be huge for me.
Unfortunately, I have migraines. That is a whole different topic. But let me say, migraines do affect my running, more than I like to admit. For now, I am content with running as much as I can and I try not to think about how far I have worked up to before my life is rudely stopped, thrown down and stomped all over for a week or two and then I pick myself back up again, put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.
I'm thankful for the friends in my life who have encouraged me to run even when I really didn't feel like it or want to. I don't think I've ever said "thank you" officially. Thank you for inspiring me, for putting up with my whining, for encouraging, for picking me up when I fell down (or literally crashed)... Thank you Rochelle, Jordan, Kami, Robin, Laurie, Amy, Deb, Crissie, Erica, Sara, for many others who I don't know your names but you have inspired me and others.
Right now, I'm "training"- (I say that term loosely, because training for me is just managing to get maybe 2-3 runs in a week and running the whole way.) for a special run. It's for my good friend Sara, whose son is Autistic. We are doing this run to help out the school he goes to. If you live in this area, feel free to join. It's only a 5-k and while I'm pretty sure Sara will be dragging me through the finish, a lot of you could run that no problem. SO, get you're runnin' shoes on!
Check out the link below if you want to sign up:
I've never heard about needing iron effecting your ability to run. That is very interesting. I have always HATED running. We had to run in school and I was always dead last and huffing/puffing along,every part of me resisting it. I wonder if that would've helped me!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog, keep it up :)