I'm a Runner Because...I Run?

Triumphant return to the blogging world?

Perhaps.

I've talked about this for awhile to my friends, but I've realized through various moments of my life that fitness is something I've talked about but have never prioritized. This blog, while admittedly self-promoting, will serve as both an accountability measure (because, Mom and Aunt Annie will be it's only readers), and a way for me to chronicle my attempts to lead a more active, healthy lifestyle. There will be stumbles, there will be hurdles, I will probably have issues keeping this updated, but that's ok.

Anyway, onto the meat of this thing. My main goal here is to decrease my weight by increasing the amount I run. I weigh too much, especially in one of the healthiest cities in America.

Full disclosure: I hate running. It takes me back to high school, when I was usually at the back of the pack during 8-man football practice while our coaches belted "if you're giving 100%, that's not good enough" and I silently cursed as I had one more lap to go around the football field. I've always ran, however. I used to run around Harrington, though I don't remember how regularly…again, cursing loudly. Most of this athletic exertion was to be in shape so I could start my senior year in high school on the football team. I was a member of the track team for two years and ran the "fat man's relay" with the other throwers. This was a humiliating exercise, as it 1) made me admit that I was fat and 2) extremely slow. All of this effort met with mixed results: I didn't start my senior year, but I did end up lettering in basketball for my journalistic and home game announcing talents (another story for another time).

From that point I attended a small, liberal arts school where there were lots of "Type A" joggers and runners…it was a great environment to change my ways, eat healthy, and jog regularly. Instead, I discovered beer and all you can eat food service dining. I gradually made my descent from not that healthy to pretty unhealthy in college. Then I moved to Southeast Arkansas. It's true what they say about "the South." Butter is a main ingredient and everything is delicious.

The turning point came about midway through my first year in teaching. My diet was terrible at this point, largely due to school lunch. I taught at a school where lunch was the one meal my students could count on every day and they were loaded with calories. I was a regular purveyor, and received extra because I was a teacher and gregarious to the lunch ladies. I came down with a cold and went to the doctor's office and weighed in….at 300 lbs. I had never crested that number before, and I knew that I was in for real trouble if I stayed there…so I started running in the humid, Arkansas weather. I think I inspired my housemate, who's girlfriend ran pretty regularly but he started taking it up. I wasn't regular, but I also cut out school lunches and subsisted on a turkey sandwich, apple, 100 calorie pack (Nabisco),c arrots, and hummus for the rest of my lunch career. The results were positive, but I still hated running.

Fast forward to today, two years later. I've been pretty irregular with running. My beautiful, talented, and athletic girlfriend runs pretty frequently (she's training for a half (that's "half-marathon" for those of you not in the know)) and got me to buy fancy running shoes about two years ago. I've had my peaks and valleys in terms of regularity, but I run at least once a week and do about 3 miles on average. This blog is an attempt at regularity. No, I will not post a journal of how far I've run on a daily basis, but rather give you little anecdotes of my attempt to transition from someone who is sedentary to a more active lifestyle.

A vignette to illustrate: I was running with Jilian around Greenlake (a lake just north of Seattle that has a running path around it). Jilian sprinted ahead, while I was rocking out behind (literally, I rock out when I run…my Ipod provides a ready list of rockable tunes…more on this in a later post) when I felt someone gently stroke my shoulder. Now, my cuter half and I have been known for public displays of affection while jogging…mainly a pat on the back or a quick shoulder rub, so my initial thought was "oh, Jilian decided to hold back and came up from behind." I was mistaken. I hear "good for you" to my right and an lady in her 50's came up alongside me, smiling. "I lost 100 pounds on this track, do you come here often?" I couldn't even get the words out. First off, I'm not running on a track, I'm running on a gravel road. Secondly, I know it's novel to see a larger person at Green Lake (truly, it is…I likely stick out like a sore thumb…my yellow "YMCA" t-shirt probably doesn't help), but, really, "good for you?" Despite these reflective thoughts, her encouragement proved the boost I needed and I kept my pace and finished the lap…all the while wondering what the lady looked like with 100 lbs on her…

Jilian recently bought a piece of clothing from a running store that had the saying "I'm a runner, because I run." I think that suits me too...while I don't do it regularly, I will become a runner...or a hiker...or a bicycler. It will be an identity, like those people who wear REI clothes to formal events and talk about all of the 14ers they've hiked. 

Until next time.