We Are Young

I remember one year in summer camp - I must have been about 12 years old - I was chosen to run the 500 meter dash for the inter-camp sports competition. I was a pretty chubby kid and even though I was relatively athletic, I think it was pretty much written off as an inevitable loss. I had never really run before outside the baseball diamond during gym at school or camp, but I guess I was still young enough to being able to 'just do it' without caring and old enough that my adrenaline was easily powered by competition. To make a long story short, I finished in first, running toward my counselor and division head beaming with pride. They seemed to be genuinely happy and proud of me, though I'm realizing I think that may have just been the look of shock.

Since starting this running experiment two months ago, I have come to realize some things. Firstly, I should have taken way more advantage of my high school sports teams, especially track. I moved before junior year of high school, so I transferred to a new school pretty much at the peak of awkward pubescence. I wasn't very confident and coming from an Orthodox Jewish school, I really wasn't ready to try out for a sports team and fall on my face in front of all of my new Shiksa classmates before first cut. Secondly, I should have taken way more advantage of my college sports teams, especially tennis. I started out practicing with the tennis team in Freshman year, but I just didn't feel it and stopped attending practice.

I went for a run last night and reached both distance and time milestones. I ran 9.5 kilometers in less than 55 minutes. 9.5 kilometers - sorry I need a second to process that. Two months ago I could barely run .5 without feeling like my lungs were about to collapse and yesterday I ran 9 1/2. That's not to say my breathing sounds wonderful while I'm running; I'm actually surprised nobody stopped to call an ambulance when they passed and heard me wheezing - but I powered through. Anyway, I've mentioned in earlier posts about the Running Club, this intensely exclusive, member's only running association that I was only recently slipped the secret invitation to. I feel it every time I run. Especially when running through the park or on a dirt trail, we always meet many runners along the way. I see people of every shape and size, but for the most part they look around my age. All I ever want to do is give a thumbs up or a wave in the opposite direction, but it's unnecessary. I sense that there's an unspoken, motionless understanding between us, which makes us automatically connected without us having met. Waving would not only be unnecessary, but uncomfortable; to wave would be to fall on my face in the lunch room while trying to get the attention of a cute jock. Truthfully, I just wanted everyone I passed last night to know I was about to reach my milestone.

I will be honest here, the run was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, though it doesn't look like I suffered too bad, right?

Right after my 9.5 kilometer run, April 29, 2012

By the last half kilometer, I didn't know if I had the rest in me. I needed a power song, and then came a blazing through my iPhone head phones, We Are Young by Fun., featuring Janelle Monáe. Something about this song really gets me moving:

After Nate finished the Jerusalem half-marathon, he told me about this 65-year-old woman who kept pace with him throughout the entire run. Nate's not the fastest runner on the track, but his time is definitely competitive, and here his 24 years young legs were on par with those of a 65-year-old woman. Obviously, I have to give major props to this woman - let's be real, I couldn't run that. But it got me to thinking: this woman didn't decide to enter the marathon 3 days prior. She couldn't have woken up one day and decided at 65 she was going to start running. She was not the only participant in her age group, and you can bet that none of these senior citizens need handicap parking and I'm willing to bet it's because they've been running for many years.

I realized something while listening to that song last night. I could very easily choose the paved road to do all my travelling, but how selfish would it be for me NOT to take advantage of my youth. I would never have been able to accomplish these goals I have completed in such a short time post-menopause. Youth is one of my only assets that though I can't control, I can decide how I use it. I'm just glad I realized this before it was too late.

Pumped Up Kicks

I am very excited to announce the purchase of a new (really expensive) pair of running shoes. I would normally feel bad spending this amount for a pair of sneakers - usually I save triple digit spending to some strappy leather heals - but it's safe to say my feet were desperate for some new kicks. These are definitely worth it.

Brooks Purecadence - The most beautiful and amazing kicks

Aren't they sexy? Because of all of my feet issues, most of which I've had all my life, buying shoes has never been easy. Now that I've started to get serious about running, it has been growing ever important that I start wearing proper running shoes that are not only comfortable for long runs, but beneficial to my feet in the long run. I've had a wide width, flat feet and a high instep ever since I can remember - shoe shopping was always a nightmare. This has caused me to over-pronate; over-pronation is not only something you can get made fun of about, but it can prove to be very damaging to your shoes. Nate discovered via the blogosphere that the best new shoe this season for me, also happened to come in purple (as if god himself was involved in this coincidence), so naturally I just had to have them. What also helped make the decision to spend what we had to on these shoes is that the sneakers I have been using were approaching 7 or 8 years - an embarrassing age for a running shoe. 

I was extremely excited to take them out for the first time. I felt like a 6-year-old version of myself preparing to take the training wheels off my bike and take it out on my own. Really, the situations aren't all that different. The truth is, this shoe is made in a very different way than any other shoe I've ever worn to run. Nate warned me that it may very well be quite painful to run - and I was half expecting to get injured. The way the shoes are designed forces me to land mid- to fore-foot, rather than on my heels, which most running shoes of the past encourage. This would cause my foot to operate in a new way during runs, using muscles they likely aren't used to exercising. 

The run was actually pretty successful. That's not to say it was by any means, easy, because THAT it definitely wasn't. But it felt good. That is, aside from the excruciating pain of running up and down steep hills for 6 kilometers. In all, I enjoyed the run, and I was quite proud of how long I lasted in it, though I don't know if I would have without the occasional amazing up-beat songs blasting on my ipod. 

The title of this post is actually named for the 'power song' of that run. I decided I will include a 'power song' with each blog post. I want to first of all, give recognition to the artists for creating great songs that are not only fun to listen to, but helpful to run to. Secondly, if there's anyone else out there who happens to be reading this and looking for good music to run with, I want to compile a list for them. I believe that the music you choose is really the most important thing to take on a run - without this song, I definitely would not have made it. 

Training Starts... NOW

Having a goal and a time line is an interesting thing for a procrastinator. I've always been a huge procrastinator and in the past it has helped me to sit down and draw up a complete and detailed - and I mean detailed, as in penciling in time to shower and eat - schedule of events. Usually this happened during college finals when I suddenly realized I had 7 finals to cram for and about 25 homework assignments to make up in about 2 weeks' time (see? procrastination at its best).

This 11k is turning out to be not all too different. I'm very proud of the 5k I've so far been able to run, though on a treadmill, but I'm not even half way there. Five weeks would seem like enough time for homework and cramming, but that's just brain-work; this is brain-work, leg-work, lung-work... exhaustion. To be honest, I'm kind of, sort of, maybe, just a little bit nervous. Especially since this week has not been a very successful and progressive training week. But I have a schedule and a new place to run.

My husband, Nate, wrote me a training regimen. It's going to be a b*tch! I'm going to be running 4 times a week, mixing speed-work, pacing and endurance. I only have 5 weeks, but the week before the race you're apparently supposed to rest up a bit - run, but nothing too strenuousness - so it's really only 4 weeks to be able to run 11k. Every week I have to go up at least a kilometer and a half or so to make it to 11 in 4 weeks. All I can say is it's good to have a strong runner who loves me to back me up and send me through boot-camp, otherwise I would surely fail. Plus, we just figured out how to get access to the local university's track, so we'll be able to do outdoor runs while gauging exact distance.

It's going to be a loooooooooooong 4 weeks!

Nate in the Jerusalem Marathon March 2012

R.I.P. Caballo Blanco

I was very sad to hear that Caballo Blanco has passed. I didn't know him or anything, but I almost felt like I did after delving into the life story he told at the end of Born to Run. From what I read, he sounded like an amazing person, and to me - and I'm sure many others world-wide - he's an inspiration. He loved to run and for no other reason than the run itself. Throughout this whole process I'm going through right now, I keep wishing that I will one day have the same inclination for running. I can't help but thinking that contrary to the (absolutely amazing) book's title, maybe not everyone is born to run. Yeah, I've been progressing and I can run much further and faster than I had been able to at the start, but I can't pretend to think that I will ever achieve award-winning speeds or distances, it's just not in me.

I will try though, and if for no other reason, than to try to feel the way Micah True expressed how running made him feel. Perhaps even just because now after hearing his story I have a nagging feeling that it's almost my obligation to live up to my running potential - maybe it will make me into a better person. After all, he wasn't the only super-athlete or ultra-runner featured in this book. Though almost all of the others live their lives in a totally different way that C.B. they all seem to possess the same heart - as if once you've run a 50-mile trail, you become one with the trail and anyone else whose experienced it.

I want to take this time to thank everyone who has so far donated to the cause I posted about in my last entry. I am still training hard and only have 5 weeks left before the 11K trail run. We have raised $200 so far and counting at run4ohrsimcha.chipin.com. Although I'm going to be running for Ohr Simcha in theory, I'll definitely be thinking of Caballo Blanco AKA Micah True AKA Michael Hickman throughout the whole journey, hoping he's watching.

Caballo Blanco (Micah True)  1954-2012