Sunday, March 11, 2012

The First Real Mile


            I believe that anyone can learn just about anything.  The real key is the willingness to open yourself up and listen.  That takes a good teacher.  A good teacher will make learning seem fun and less like work.  A good teacher does not just tell you how to do something, they show you, they lead by example.
            What does all this mean?  I had been told of the virtues of running and the good it could do for me physically and mentally for a few years but it never made it palatable to me.  My own stubbornness and fear of possible injury outweighed any of the purported benefits.  A few people tried but I did not listen.  I am not saying that these people were not good teachers, maybe my mind was not ready to be opened.  What I am saying is that it took a new voice to tie it all together, not surprisingly that voice came from a teacher.  A real teacher, not a metaphorical one.
            Some people are born runners, most are not.  Most people are simple average folks looking to get in shape, or get in better shape.  Emily was not born a runner, she made herself into one.  She chose to change her own lifestyle and became the best possible version of herself.  I had known her only in passing at the gym for a few years, despite the fact that we had grown up in the same neighborhood.  Until I actually talked to her I had always assumed that she was one of the lucky ones who had been born a runner.  This was not the case.  When I found out about all of the hard work she had been putting in for years to get where she was it made me rethink my own limitations.
            When you see living proof of what running can do, or any change of lifestyle, in front of your eyes it suddenly seems less daunting.  Nearly a year ago she and I began to talk, really talk, and I felt something.  I felt my mind opening, I felt a willingness to at the very least give the running life another try.
            Of course I was naturally wary of all of the previous problems I had running, pulled and sore muscles and such.  That experience was like a chain holding me back.  I still did not fully believe in myself.  Emily said that all I could do was try, I would never know unless I tried.  I decided on a compromise.  I told her I would run one mile on a treadmill at a slow pace.  If I survived it with no problems I would go from there.
            I faced my fears and doubts and set the pace at a robust 10:00 per mile and set out on a slow jog that ended up becoming the most important run I have ever or will ever make.  This was the first real mile, the mile that made me see that if done properly I could run just like any other runner.  Of course in time and with hard work and repetition my times and distances would get better but none of that mattered on that day.
            I had definitely broken a sweat even after one slow mile.  Still, I was running in over-sized old sneakers, over-sized clothes, and was not looking professional in my form or stride.  I believe Emily said I was too stiff looking, I guess like a zombie running.  I had yet to learn about leaning slightly forward as you run, I had yet to learn about getting fitted for sneakers, but none of that mattered on that day.
            I’m sure that to the other runners on the treadmills surrounding me I looked like I was giving up early.  All I could do when I ended my run was turn back to where Emily was running and smile and nod.  I had run my first real mile, and I knew there would be more.  I was very happy and could not wait to go a little further the next time.
This time I would be smart and wade slowly out rather than dive blindly into the deep end.  The joy and benefits of running would start to come to me more in the coming weeks.  A lot of people had told me of these things but I needed a different voice for them to make sense.  I needed a good teacher to believe in me and push me through that first mile.

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