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.