I have an auto-immune disorder. I tell you not because I need sympathy, I definitely don’t, but because it will better help you understand me and my somewhat uneasy journey through fitness endeavors. So that you won’t think I’m a hypochondriac or a major whiner when I talk about the issues I face, or that I’m just making excuses.
Not that I never make excuses. I do. But life is not easy when your own body is attacking itself.
What does this have to do with running? Everything, really.
Look, I’m an athlete. I have always loved sports, I have always played sports. Since high school, anyway. My love for physical activity sprouted when I made the varsity soccer team my sophomore year and just exploded from there. I got into running and lifting weights in college, and I even played a few years of pro women’s football. Tackle, not lingerie. I’ll have to see if I can dig up that picture.
When football wasn’t a great fit for me anymore because breaking an ankle and getting a concussion were not conducive to waiting tables in my 20’s, I found a sport that was just as violent, but the roughness was self-inflicted and I no longer had to worry about being tackled. Cross fit will punch you in the face, let me tell you, but man did I fall in love. I even entering local competitions, looking for some extra punishment.
Wow, talk about making a long story,well, long.
So, running. Yes.
I love it. I hate it. I can’t wait to run. I am super sad on the days that I’m in too much pain to run.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I watched Brittany Runs a Marathon. It’s on Amazon Prime, I highly recommend it. I’d been in a fitness rut, my stomach has become so bad that I have trouble even getting up everyday, let alone trying to be active. But we watch this movie and it’s fantastic. It was funny and sad and just great. And man, did I want to run a marathon after I watched it. Never mind that a few months ago I had to transfer my bib for the Marine Corps 10k because I developed Achilles tendinitis during training, or that I have a bad knee, and that a week prior I started to feel the WORST pain in my right hip. Brittany ran a marathon, and so would I.
Nike has a running club app that I have used for years, but I’ve never been able to consistently stick to the coach guided run routines. You can choose any length of training with the coach guides, 5k, 10k, marathon, etc. Or you can follow a plan just to get healthier. I decided this time I’d follow through with a routine no matter what. I didn’t want to set myself up for failure, though, so instead of creating a plan to run a marathon, I chose a smaller goal that I felt was attainable. I’m following the 10k program. I set a training length of 11 weeks because I’d like to sign up for the Rock and Roll 5k here in DC at the end of March. What I’d really like to do is run the half, but I’m just not there yet.
(Are you still with me? Do you wish I’d just get to the point already? I’m sorry, my mind goes in a thousand directions and I have trouble organizing my thoughts so most of what I write ends up being a random stream of consciousness.)
Here’s where the title of my blog post comes in. Running sucks, people. It hurts, it’s hard, and it makes you want to rethink your life choices. Running is also one of the greatest joys in life. Have you ever finished a long run and thought it was awful? Sure. But have you ever regretted doing that hard thing and succeeded at something that is so physically taxing? No. Nine times out of ten you will feel like a million dollars. You’ll feel like you could go on American Ninja and Jessie Graff the hell out of that thing.
So, does my hip hurt? Yes. Do I struggle to do half of these things because my body sucks? Sure do. Will I stop? No way.
Thanks, Brittany. I’m actually loving following the Nike running plan.
Does anyone have a particular app they love? Please let me know in the comments. I can look up the ones you mention and compile a list of free vs. paid and the pros and cons. I’m about to start looking at Strava.
Couch Tomato 