Before you cry scandal at the opening of my title, let me explain. I am trying to get high, but not from any banned or questionable substance. I am trying to experience a high of a different kind, a runner’s high.
I have never been one to seek out cardio in a solitary context. I have played sports (badly, but played nonetheless), enjoyed energetic games with friends, attended classes at gyms, but have never been attracted to what always seemed the lonely world of the most basic heartbeat-based activity: running.
Solo cardio? No thank you. I simply wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t make myself run. I never had the desire, until now…
(Dramatic pause)
For some reason, the newest unexplained phenomenon in my existence is a growing desire to run. Or, to be more honest and specific, the ability to run further than 20 yards without inevitable collapse, which is my current condition. To say I desire to experience this sensation is a slight understatement. I almost yearn for this high.
And I don’t know why.
Maybe my newfound aspiration is the result of sibling-pressure (different than peer-pressure, but profoundly similar). My sister runs. Two of my brothers have run marathons. My other brothers run. Even my husband runs. Maybe I feel left out.
Perhaps I’m fueled by the result of a recent fitness assessment (to be discussed in detail later) that indicated an averageness that could be partly conquered by increasing my vo2 max, according to my assessor.
Or, maybe there is a more latent cause for this new pursuit, one that has lain dormant for my almost 30-year life only to be just now awakened by a psychosomatic rustle…Wasn’t it James Joyce who once said, “Rapid motion through space elates one”? Perhaps I seek such elation?
Whatever the underlying cause, and whatever the work that must be put in to achieve my high, the beauty of any new goal is that there usually involves some preliminary shopping.
So, I bought some Vibrams. Weird, bendy things with amphibious style. They are designed to allow for the sensation and effect of barefoot running while still protecting our precious little piggies from jagged rocks, asphalt protrusions, or other such ghastly demons that could damage our soles.
I figured that since I have never run enough to encourage injury, I might as well follow current research-meets-yuppie trend and become conspicuously minimalist in my approach.
(As an aside, I love my Vibrams. I really do think they help me develop a healthier gait. Just sayin’.)
Thus far, I’ve only run a few times. I even ran once with my sister. (Although I did get distracted by some deer and stopped to take pictures. She finished her miles then doubled back to find me.) And you know what?
I enjoyed these runs.
Even though I have yet to run very far (latest record is 1 1/2 miles with consistent pace), I am getting the tiniest taste of why people run. I love the thought that I am always both running away from and towards “something,” be it literal or figurative. And I love the feeling of tiredness for a reason other than lethargy or frustration.
Who knew?
~Arrivederci
Yay for your newest pursuit!! I really do enjoy it, too, but had gotten out of the habit of it. A few days ago I went for my first run in weeks and I sooo felt it afterwards! Maybe we can do a 5K sometime??? Hope you are doing well…. I miss you. Let’s talk soon. R
It would be awesome to run together sometime! I’m glad you are getting back into the habit! Hopefully I can be more diligent. It’s hard to get out the door in my weird little shoes, but once I’m out, I really enjoy it.
5K within the next year? We should definitely makes plans!
Switching to Vibrams has allowed me to enjoy running, too. I didn’t make it through the Couch-to-5k program over the summer for an assortment of reasons, but I did get out and run pretty regularly, and actually enjoyed myself. I was wondering if you’d go the barefoot/minimalist route since you were talking about Born to Run. Glad to see you did. Kristen approves!
Thanks for the approval! I figured that since I have never run enough to do any damage yet, I might as well start on a high and get the Vibrams. I really love them. Ran in them yesterday, actually. I just need to be more consistent so my achilles don’t hurt so much!!!!
Are you training for a particular race?
Was going to do this one: http://runforyourlives.com/ in MD next month. Thankfully, it appears their next one is Atlanta, so I’m adding that to my to-do list today. My sister was going to do it with me, but she was in a car wreck about the same time as my left arch fell on me again (which is a return to it’s usual position — I’m super flat-footed, just overdid it a bit with the barefoot standing moreso than the barefoot running), so we both arrived at the conclusion it was out as a possibility around the same time. I’d call six months of cool weather ample time to get back to training for it. 🙂 Want to make a trip across a few states and join us for it?
I’ve also switched to barefoot full-time. I teach in these: http://www.myfivefingers.com/pretty-in-pink-performa-janes/ (I have a pink pair and a black pair). My students love them, and they have been great for me. My left arch regressed back to where it started during the summer, but the right one has started developing an actual arch and has stayed there; no more knee or back problems, even after running a lot (knees used to be killing me when I ran in shoes). And running in them doesn’t suck. All-around great. I even credit them with making it harder for me to hurt myself. I rolled my ankle going down the stairs about a month ago, to the point that I had carpet burned the tops of my toes. It hurt a good bit right after, but I was out playing golf the next morning with only a very slight bit of soreness, zero soreness the following day. (Golfing barefoot is AMAZING, btw.)
I miss you a lot!!
I wish we could have discovered the joys of barefootness when we lived in the SAME state! Ah! I’ll look into that race in MD, though. That would be really fun.
I need to get into a schedule to encourage me to run. My brother has Vibrams, and he’s been researching all this stuff about cadence. There are some great apps that match music to your pace to encourage a good “beat” with your stride. I just downloaded one and hope to try it this weekend.
I’m so thankful for social networking so we can more easily keep in touch! I haven’t been on Twitter for a while (my blog automatically posts on Twitter for me) but I’m trying to get better about checking that account too.
Pet the doggies for me!
Re: the race, I’m looking at the one in Atlanta in March — the MD one is in 3 weeks. No way i’ll be ready for that one. 🙂
And coincidentally, I was thinking a few hours ago after I got done at the track that I wanted to do pretty much what you are describing, just with my own music collection — put together a playlist that has faster songs for the times I’m supposed to be running and slower times for the ones I’m supposed to be walking, and do that for each of the Couch-to-5k weeks. So much easier than constantly using a stopwatch, and I think it would also help with what you describe about keeping a good cadence.
I’m actually pretty rarely on Twitter myself. We’ll probably do the best keeping up with one another through blog comments and email.
Lucy and Bitsy have been petted for you, and they say thanks!