So...why?
As someone who dreaded running in gym class, it's hard for me to believe even now that I actually enjoy running, and even PAY to do it (in exchange for a medal, t-shirt, and a beer at the finish line of course).
I finished in 11:30 the first time I ever ran "The Mile" in middle school. "The Mile" was something we spoke about as if it were a horrible urban legend or a death sentence. It was right up there with "The Video" (the movie about puberty that every student was forced to watch in 4th grade) in terms of bad reputation and dread. I remember finishing "The Mile," and as my heart rate came down and I started to gain control of my breathing again, I noticed that the back of my mouth tasted like blood, my teeth and ears hurt. "I must be dying," I thought. And I was. I died. That was the only logical explanation and now I'm a ghost whose unfinished business is running so now I do it in the afterlife and I can't wait to haunt the Chicago Marathon this fall.
But really.
So why the sudden change?
In the fall of 2013 I signed up for my first 5k - The Color Run in Green Bay, WI. The race was held on the campus of my alma mater, UW-Green Bay, and it took place on my birthday (September 29). The Color run is one of those races where they throw colored powder at you at every kilometer until you're covered in pink, blue, green, yellow, and orange, and look like an Easter egg wearing tennis shoes. My sister and I ran it in 33 minutes - which wasn't bad for my(/our) first race. And not only my first race, but the first time I'd ever run 3 consecutive miles (without stopping).
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| The Color Run, 9/29/2013 |
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| The Color Run, May 2014 |
I did another Color Run in Madison that spring (May 2014). I wasn't as fast that time and it didn't feel as easy as the first one had. But the feeling of crossing the finish line was the same.
The following August I did a similar race - The Black Light 5k in Bridgeview. It took place at night and wound around the stadium where The Chicago Fire Soccer Club plays. Similar concept as The Color Run, but it was all in blacklight and the powder they throw at you glows and by the end you look TERRIFYING under the blacklight (your teeth and the whites of your eyes turn black, it's nightmare-ish). The terrain was sort of treacherous in my opinion. The paved sidewalks were uneven and there were patches of gravel everywhere, in the dark no less. But it was really fun, regardless.
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| Black Light 5k, 2014 |
I had caught the running bug by then, but I only ran in races, and never on my own. That wouldn't happen until April 2017, when I ran with my then-roommate Patrick at a 5k race that he had signed us up through his work. I bought new shoes and was excited to run again. I was overly confident, because by the time I hit the 2nd mile, my right knee was starting to sting. But with a little help from Ed Sheeran (I know, I know) I crossed the finish line and enjoyed the Bloody Mary and burrito that awaited us afterward.The week after that race, I decided I wanted to see what it would be like to run on my own time (and without paying anyone to do it..). I had just gotten new shoes, so I shouldn't let them sit idle, right? So I took off to the Lakefront Trail, and after that, I was hooked. I didn't care that my knee was still bothering me, or that I was slow as a slug. I was running next to Lake Michigan with a hundred other people who were running and biking and walking for fun. It was magical. So I kept doing it, taking to the trail day after day, mile after mile. It was free fitness, and it was easily accessible. And the more I did it, the more bad ass I felt.
I found some running buddies and we did The Rock 'n Roll 10k (6.2 miles) that summer and The Hot Chocolate 15k (9.3 miles) that fall. Every time we upped the mileage I felt that much more accomplished. I wasn't really training - not properly. I would just run whenever I felt like it for however long I wanted. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Regardless, I was running a pretty consistent 10 minute mile and I felt pretty good about that.
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| The Hot Chocolate 15k, 2017 |
A stranger at a bar gave me the best advice that would change the way I was running. He noticed my FitBit and asked if I was a runner - I was reluctant to say yes, because I was so new to the sport - which is exactly what I told him. He asked me if I had a proper pair of running shoes - more specifically, if I had ever been fitted for a proper pair of running shoes. That the right shoe is the most important part of running. That you can really screw up your knee or your body in general without the right shoe.
I spent a few more months or so running with whatever tennis shoes I had been running with - to be honest with you, I just buy whatever Nike or Adidas shoes look the coolest/best/prettiest, so who knows what sort of activity any of my shoes were meant for.
In the spring of 2018, I decided the next natural step would be to do a half marathon. I chose the Rock 'n Roll Series as my first because I had done the 10k the summer before and had a lot of fun hearing the live music along the course.
Knowing I had a huge feat ahead of me, I went to Fleet Feet in Lincoln Square to get fitted for a proper pair of running shoes. I'm not exaggerating when I say that when I tried on the Nike Zoom Pegasus in bright orange, it was like what I imagine brides feel like when they say yes to the dress. Not only did these shoes fit like a glove, but they looked fucking rad. I named them Peggy, for Pegasus. But Peggy Shoe also has a fun ring to it.
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| Peggy. |
It was noticeable within a few trips to the trail that my lack of proper running equipment was what had been causing my knee pain, because I was running 4 times a week and I wasn't experiencing the same issues I had been before.
Getting fitted for my first pair of real running shoes, a pair of shoes whose sole (boo) function was running, brought me a little closer to feeling like and being more comfortable identifying as a "runner". But I still had some impostor syndrome: "I don't run THAT much," "Yeah, but I've never run a marathon before," "I'm so much slower than most real runners I know," "Sure, I'm training for a half marathon but I haven't crossed the finish line yet" - were things I would catch myself saying or thinking.
My half marathon and all the training leading up to it really changed that for me. I don't need to go into the details of the training because it was a year ago, and I'll do plenty of detailing here during my marathon training, but putting a massive amount of physical effort into a specific goal and then completing it was one of the most fulfilling things I'm proud to say that I've done. It is maybe the only thing in my life until now I can say was worth the literal blood, sweat, and tears.
So - let's double it, shall we?
This post is way too long. If you read this far, thanks. If not, cool. Although why bother mentioning the people who didn't read this far since they will not see this sentence...
Okay bye.
IG: @captainc_run_ch
