They say that long-distance running is one of the hardest sports to get into and the easiest one to fall out of and, wow, is that the truth. If it weren’t for an injury I sustained in November, I would have run my second half marathon this month. “The pain you’re feeling is from ‘overuse’”, the urgent care doctor said. I’ll be honest—I felt relieved. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to run the race (I did), but I knew I didn’t prepare enough. Almost immediately after leaving the doctor’s office, I deferred my race to next year and got my Sunday’s back, which were reserved for my ten mile runs. By the time race day came around, my legs could barely manage a two mile walk, let alone a 13mi race. But as the gun went off and the racers trotted across the start line, I felt a little tug at my heart.
I was with my friend Janet as we watched Joey and Jason run by when I said, “Okay, I do feel a little sad that I’m not running this year.”
I know what you’re thinking: “But, Jason, running is so dumb. Why not just stop and save yourself the trouble?” And to that, I say, “I really should stop…but I won’t.”
I was never athletic growing up; so much of my life revolved around books or video games and the thought of going out with other people and potentially getting hurt didn’t feel right. But when I took up running in 2019, in a veiled attempt to be full marathon ready by 30 (a feasible goal at the time, but one that has since been abandoned), I realized that being active isn’t all so bad, especially when you can do it at your leisure and for free! And so I started to run, well, walk every day. Eventually, I graduated to running a mile, then two, then three until my first 5K in 2020 where I clocked in at just under 30min. The rush of crossing that finish line is unlike anything else. A year prior, I didn’t believe I could run a single mile, and I had just run three. Fast forward one year, and I would complete thirteen!
More disbelief, more rush—and all of it because I decided to take that first step and run. I’ve always said that the first mile is the toughest—but what I’ve learned from running is that that’s true of all things in life. Each day we live is like running a mile. Some are breezy and level, like running through the suburbs; and sometimes they’re hard, like running uphill in San Francisco. But no matter the severity of the day or incline of the mile, we always accomplish something by merely getting to the end of the day. And the harder the mile, the easier every other mile becomes—do you see what I’m getting at here? It has so much less to do with my health (though, that is a great bonus) and more to do with feeling accomplished with the little milestones (badum tss) I hit with every run, because that’s all we’re really trying to do with life—meet our goals and feel accomplished.
Running gives me those moments in real time and instantly, while also giving me a taste of what life might bring me down the line. It reminds that even on my toughest days and on my hardest runs, I will survive and make it to the next one.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
