:: FITNESS :: Hitting My Stride

As you may recall from my September forecast post, as homage to the month's theme, CHANGE, I announced my commitment to run my first half marathon.  This was obviously a change directed at my level of physical ability, but also at my ability to challenge myself, my ability to follow through, and my ability to overcome. It's been quite the journey, and I'm still going strong in the midst of my eighth week of training. Perhaps stronger than ever, actually. Last week, I finally hit my stride...

sunrise over Golden Gate Park

I also previously mentioned that I'm not a runner. It's never been something that my body would adapt to, which was expected since, generally speaking, running isn't really any body's best friend. So naturally, I've had a need to shut my body up and prove to myself that I can run... even if it means icing various parts of my body 4x a day. So like any goal worth accomplishing, it hasn't been easy, but I wanted to share my story in case there's anyone else out there with a goal that feels just beyond reach. If I can do this, you should literally be able to do anything.

My first hesitation with committing to this race was pure physical ability. In the past, the moment I started running, my body would begin to break down; like the chain reaction that unfolds before your eyes once you knock over that first domino... First came the shins -- shin splints up the wazoo that were so painful it was as if someone was hitting me in the tibia with a baseball bat every time my foot made contact with the treadmill. Yes, treadmill -- this was back in the day when I only worked out at a gym because I thought anything else would be too hard on my body. I now strongly prefer the outdoors.

as you can see, the view ain't bad -- from Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach

Next up were the knees. I've always had knee problems due to a combination of damage from my dancing days and, the cause behind every other ailment that I endure, my own lack of awareness. My flat feet cause me to pronate, my addiction to flip flops left me with nothing to support my feet, and my past dancing experience led to a sway back and swing in the hips when I walked, all of which I took for granted and never bothered to correct. Combined, these led to poor posture and form, which means I've more or less been using the wrong muscles when walking and, you guessed it, running. Ergo, certain muscles became over developed while others were underdeveloped, which left my knees with little to no support. Oh, and did I mention I have loose patella as well? Yeah -- basically, my knees are fooked.

After the knees, came the tight calves. Again, this issue was a result of the above -- over-working of the calves in dance and poor form when walking. One day specifically, it felt like I was on the verge of a Charlie's Horse for a full 24 hrs. I even had a run scheduled that day, and I nearly broke down into tears mid run. Seriously, that shit hurts.

Lastly, if I could manage to control, or at least grit my teeth through all of the above, the second to last domino would bring things to a halt -- endurance. Even just half-hour runs would make me feel like I would pass out if I didn't take a break. How was I going to sustain myself for 2+ hrs?? I thought this issue would surely improve by week 3 or 4. Week 5 at the latest... But it wasn't until last week -- week 7 -- that I managed to complete my entire 6.5 miles without walking. My endurance had finally caught up with the rest of me, and 3 days later I ran my entire 10.5 miles (that's more than half the distance of San Francisco, btw!) without walking. Say what?!

Now, just to be clear, I've been following training guides aplenty and getting advice from fellow runners and friends who know a thing or two about the body. From day 1 of my training I've been working on my form, stretching, icing, foam rolling, etc, etc. Had I not been doing these things, I definitely would NOT still be training because my body would literally be in a pile of rubble right now. However, I'm know I'm still not a perfect runner or a perfect example even (I could stand to drink like 10 more glasses of water per day). My calves still cease up from time to time, and my shin splints may begin to flare if I drop the ball on the ice.

So why am I going on and on about my experience?

While I'm not perfect and I don't have all of the answers, the point of my experience is that I'm still going. It's hard work for me, and some days it's really fucking hard. But the thought of what I'm accomplishing, despite all the struggles, is enough to keep me going when I could just as easily say, "Maybe this just isn't for me." It's something I can be proud to talk about, and it's a goal that I can focus on when other areas of my life feel all cattywompus. I never thought I could do, much less would want to do something so strenuous. But I've not missed a single morning run -- whether it's getting up two hours before work, or after a night of drinking for my best friend's birthday (while in the mountains at 4,000 ft elevation), I've not missed a single morning run-- scratch that, I missed two due to a devil of a blister on the arch of my foot.

ouch!

and ouch...

But otherwise, my dedication to this goal has far outlasted any physical strife, and quite frankly I'm impressed with myself. And that's why I'm sharing this with you. I find the excessive icing and all the struggles frustrating, but also quite hilarious. If this is what my body is going to throw at me and I can still manage to cross that finish line next month, then what can I not do?

It's been a journey, indeed. But more than that, I've made a significant change in my life and the effects -- physically, mentally and emotionally -- will be lasting. Even when something feels totally unattainable, just take the first step... Once you get the momentum going, I promise you'll become an unstoppable force.

*c