Finally walking (well running) my talk...

My college professor Stacie's words still ring in my ears: "If you don't at least walk 45 minutes 3 times a week, you are a hypocrite." Actually over the last 14 years they have occasionally haunted me. You see I am a physical therapist, ummm.... technically an exercise professional. In my professional life I have asked the question "Have you been doing your exercises?" thousands of times... just waiting for one of my patients to look me over and say: "Have you?"

I have finally lived up to Stacie's expectation. I finally don't need to dread that patient. I have been doing my exercises!

I had my rationale, I specialize in homecare and geriatrics. If you have a running injury you don't come see me. Now, if you can't walk or get out of chair, I come see you. So, I was not asking my patients to do exercises I couldn't do. And I was never injured and asking someone to fix me, but not complying. I was just generally out-of-shape, but not actually complaining about it. But I was far from a good example.

I had a patient who recently inspired me, just as I began learning to run. She was close to 90, and had been diagnosed many years before with a dreaded debilitating disease of old age. I was amazed at how well she was doing both mentally and physically, considering the length of her diagnosis. Near the end of my visit I found out why she still functioned so well. Her husband told me she was a runner. She had even won several big races. As I thought about it, this sweet lady would have been my age in the 50's, not exactly a time when running was a common activity for a Midwestern homemaker. She was a pioneer. Even though she couldn't really have a complete conversation with me, she was an inspiration to me to start and keep running.

This brings me to a confession. Years ago I did a brief stint in our hospital's outpatient department. On one of my last days in outpatient I had a new patient who was a runner. He had complained of knee pain and I couldn't find anything wrong with him. Eventually he reported that it only hurt after he ran 3 miles. While I am happy to report that being the professional I am I suggested he schedule another evaluation for a time when he could run immediately before his appointment. I am ashamed to say that I really wanted to say " Well, then just run 2 and a half miles." I really couldn't see the point of running if it hurt. I wish I could have that one back. (Side note: if you have a running injury please only see a PT who has extra training in sports medicine!! Actually now I would have recommended that patient be evaluated at a sports medicine clinic. Even small cities usually have those.)

Running has enhanced my professional life. I have become more keenly aware of form and quality of movement. I have personally experienced the process of building up endurance. I love my job. I love my older patients, and helping people be able to function in their homes. And, I am good at it. Even though I am learning to love running, I have no plans to become a sports PT. But running has allowed me to relate better to my patient's experience. It is something I have to physically push and discipline myself to accomplish. For some of my patients, walking down a flight of stairs independently is their 5K. And as I work on my goals in running I can better sympathise and cheer them on toward their therapy goals.

Why I hated running

The memory is vivid in my mind. The searing pain in my ankle, the tears and humiliation as I practically collapsed after my first lap around the track. It was early in 1986. I was in 6th grade. I had just moved to California. Back home gym had been kick ball and hula hoops. At my new school P.E. was serious business.

I hated running ever since that day, and the subsequent required runs in Jr High. We ran a timed 440, 880, and mile at least twice every quarter. We were graded on our base time, plus our improvement. But I don't remember ever being taught how to run, or build up to running the mile. The warm-ups consisted of me uncoordinatedly trying to follow some 8th graders as they led a series of exercises w/o instruction.

The recurring pain in my ankle, and wanting to die and never ever run again after the mile, are my strongest impressions of running. My parents did take me to a Dr. about my ankle. He took an x-ray, said he couldn't see anything wrong. But he told me "Some people aren't built to run." I latched on to that as my excuse for the next 20+ years. "I just wasn't built to run."

As I have discovered the joy of running I look back on that time w/ a mix of shock, amusement, and disgust. Shock that we were just expected to run and improve our running with no training, and no instruction. Amusement that I would be labeled "Not built for running." With my long legs, and (at the time) thin body, I was built just right for running. But what most disgusts me is that neither the gym teacher nor orthopedic surgeon thought to suggest maybe I needed to stretch before I ran. And that, plus a few ankle strengthening exercises, could put an end to that burning stabbing pain.

I don't tend to spend a lot of time on regrets. I briefly wonder what it would be like to have learned to run properly, maybe I could have... But in high-school and college I enjoyed my role as brainy academic non-athlete. So enough of looking back, I will rejoice that I found running, that I got a second chance to find my inner athlete. I will reclaim those years, by proving how cool it is to be in better shape at age 36 than at age 26 or even 16. And I have finally triumphed over Jr High P.E. class!

How I found running...

Providence: a manifestation of divine care or direction.

Providence, that is how I found running. God organized a collection of happenings that led me to running north on my country road.

First, about 5 weeks ago I was fed up. I knew I was out of shape and anywhere from 15 to more like 30 pounds overweight. It was a little more than 10 weeks to my oldest daughter's 3rd birthday. I wanted to get back to my pre-pregnancies weight, actually I wanted to weigh less than my pre-pregnancies weight. So I made a goal to lose 15 pounds in 10 weeks. That would put me at 165, the highest healthy weight for my height, and 5 lbs less than when I became pregnant with Holly. However I did not want to go on a diet. I didn't want to change anything temporarily. I wanted to build permanent habits. So in addition to losing 15 pounds my goals were to exercise for 200 minutes a week, eat 5 fruits/veggies a day, and drink at least 20 oz of water a day.

The first week I walked (outside and on the treadmill), did some toning work outs on TV/DVD, and talked my hubby into a family bike ride. My treadmill time was limited to about 1/2 an hour during naps so to boost it up I jogged a few 1 minute intervals. I knew I hated running "distances". I had only run a complete mile twice in my life, and of course thought I was going to die after those. But those little one minute intervals were fun. And, one day I decided to see how long I could jog. So one day after a short warm-up I jogged for 5 minutes straight. I was tired but proud of myself. However, it still didn't click that running could be more than just a few minutes to pump up my walking.

In the spirit of my healthy lifestyle, when we out to eat with some friends that Friday, I suggested we walk on our municipal trail after dinner. It was a beautiful June evening, so the trail was busy with bikers, walkers, and runners. Though I hated running myself I have always been fascinated by those who actually did enjoy it. And I especially took note of two girls in "Lake Run Club" T-shirts since 14 month-old Heather called out a loud "Hi" and waved at them from her stroller.

At one point we passed an interesting woodsy area, with dirt trails off to the side of the paved trail. On the way back I wanted to check out this "Hidden Creek Nature Sanctuary" So I jogged on ahead a little bit. when I started walking through the side trail I noticed it was a bit dark in there, and though the trail ran roughly parallel to the main trail, I wasn't sure how far I had to go before I caught up with it. So I started to run. That is where it clicked. I was running, and I was enjoying it! I only ran for about 2 or 3 minutes before I caught up with the trail. But I was hooked.

As I thought about how fun it was to run, I remembered those girls and the Lake Run Club shirts. From the back of my memory banks came the idea that the Lake Run Club had a non-runner to runner training class. (i think I read about it in the paper) A quick online search, and i found them. I was disappointed to see that the class runs from Feb through April, but excited when I found their training regimen was posted online. I read through it and knew I could do it.

That was four weeks ago. Tomorrow I start my 10 minute intervals (10 min run/3 min walk : repeat 3 times) I don't think I have ever run for a total of 30 minutes in one day, let alone in one hour. And I am looking forward to it! I have even found that if I get up at 6am I can "run" outside, by myself before hubby leaves for work. I am no longer not a morning person.

I feel like tomorrow is a big day. Running for 30 out of 39 minutes, that could be the equivalent of a 5K, or farther. Looking forward to heading out my door and running north in the morning.