I was never a runner in my days as an athlete. I played basketball in high school and college. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the team, I performed better when others were relying on me and not so well if I was competing against myself. Last year, when I told my best friend from high school and basketball teammate that I was going to start running, the first words out of her mouth were, "Really? You hate running." I honestly don't know that I hated running but, she could've been right. Deciding to start running in my 40s though was a different thing than being an athlete in my younger days. In high school, I played basketball because my big brother told me I should. I enjoyed it but didn't know it was something I was good at but he assured me I was. I enjoyed basketball a lot. It was fun to be good enough to compete and win.
What's different about being an athlete now versus back then is that I am choosing to do this for myself now. Basketball was all about the team, even though I did it because I enjoyed it. Running is all about me. And I've chosen to do this. No one is scheduling practice for me. No one is making me work hard. No one is making me run races. No one but me. And I also know that no one else is relying on me to perform. If I skip a run I'm only affecting myself. I can choose to make up the run or not. I can choose to be upset about it or not. It is quite liberating to have that control.
When I decided to take up running it wasn't because I thought I would excel at it. I was just hoping to improve my health. The boot camp workouts are great but at some point, I should probably stop paying for those classes and put those funds into the house, or my motorcycle, or a vacation or something. So, I thought, running would be a good back up activity to keep me honest and keep me moving. Turns out I also enjoy it. But, my plan is not to improve my times or anything like that. My plan is more long term than that. I want to keep moving to stay healthy for the rest of my life.
I have inherited some good health genes. My grandparents all lived well into their 80s (except for my paternal grandfather who committed suicide when my dad was 10 years old). My aunts and uncles have pretty good health as well. Many of my relatives on both sides were or are athletes. So, much like Sr. Madonna, I feel a certain amount of responsibility to use these good genes and my gifts for as long as I can.
Sr. Madonna began running in her late 40s. She is now 80 years old and a world class triathlete. She has competed in the Hawaiian Ironman over 30 times. She usually dedicates her runs to a friend who is unable to move as she does. She hopes that by running she will impart some of her strength to others who need it. She said at the book event that she doesn't train. She says at her age she needs to save her energy for the races. She says it's better to be consistent than to be hard core. Well, she didn't say hard core, but I'm pretty sure that's what she meant. She runs to all of her errands - grocery, church, visits, etc. That's her training plan. For an Ironman. Amazing. I hope to be able to keep it going for as long as she has. She's my new hero.
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