Wednesday, November 17, 2010

No Run, No Fun...

You know that old saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”? Usually we use it to refer to something we either let go or something that somehow has escaped us. It can stir up memories of an old love, perhaps a car, or simply a time in our life that we recall and remember how good it felt to be there. For me, it’s running.

Friday afternoon, almost two weeks ago, I started to feel myself coming down with a cold. Sure enough, on the day of our very first Team in Training practice of the spring season, I woke up with an itchy throat and a burning sensation in my eyes. A couple days later, the itchy throat and burning eyes turned into a horrible cough that I just cannot seem to shake! For most people this would mean, “Woo hoo, I guess its chicken soup and lots of rest for me!” In my case it’s, “Ohmigosh we just started training!” (For first time readers, I am a mentor with Team in Training. This season, we are training for the Surf City Half in April and the LA Marathon in March. I am hoping to register for LA which will be my first full.) I didn’t think much of my cold at first since I figured I’d be over it no time; but as the days passed I really began to crave a run. I would even see others running and think to myself, “Wow, I wish I could be doing that right now!” Again, someone might ask, “How can you miss running?!”

Here it goes: I miss the strides on the pavement, the rush of the wind in my face, and the sense of accomplishment I get from having reached the end of my run. I miss exploring new places and the change of scenery in running outdoors. I miss running with other people and the encouragement along the way. I miss the fresh air, the challenge…I miss it all. I’m especially bummed because Shaun and I had just started running together and now we’re both sick.

The worst part of all is that I’m not burning the calories that I normally would, so needless to say, things are starting to feel a bit snug. And let me just interject by saying I am NOT one of those people who experiences a loss of appetite when they get sick. Since I can’t run after work, I find myself indulging in my other favorite hobby…baking which of course, I have to taste test. :)

All kidding aside, running is a great form of exercise; each mile burns a little more than 100 calories. I don’t just say this because it has become my preferred method of exercise. I say it because it really is our body working in its purest state without machines or weights. All you need is a good pair of shoes and the right attitude.

Seeing as though I felt I needed some form of exercise, I decided to join the team at a park in Signal Hill for our weekly, Tuesday evening core exercises. We focus on strengthening the core because when running, it is essentially your core and the motion of your legs pulling you through. So many muscles are being used, especially in the longer distance runs; you tend to really feel parts of your body you never felt before, unless you do strength training on a regular basis.

As I walked back to my car after the session, I figured I would engage in a light jog. Wow did I really miss this feeling…too bad being out in the cold made my cough worse and has caused my throat to feel sore again. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but don’t take your legs for granted. When I say this, I mean your health too. Those who have read my previous posts, you know that my dad has never walked. He doesn’t, nor will he ever know what it means to run. I can’t imagine someone taking that away from me or not knowing the experience of running at all. And now that I can’t run due to a cold, I realize how much I miss the simple act of running...but my baking skills are improving ;)

Butter Pecan Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

2 comments:

  1. Mmmm.... baking. I love to bake. Yeah, really. I make some mean muffins. My favorite are either zucchini or sweet potato but the pumpkin muffins I make are always well-received.

    Sorry you're missing out on all the fun :(

    I ran five miles today and it was fun. Ran four miles yesterday and of course my half marathon on Sunday. I never take running for granted because I know something can keep from running, and because before I lost all my weight I never did any sort of physical activity.

    I didn't know that about your dad. My dad has slowly lost his ability to walk and is in a wheelchair these days. I also use that as motivation because I'm sure he would do anything to be able to just walk.

    Anyway, hope you're out on your feet soon enough. Until then, I can send you some new recipes if you'd like ;)

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  2. Awww you didn't have to rub in all the miles you logged this week! LOL! JK!

    My dad is in a wheelchair too...has been his whole life. It must be hard to see your dad go through that. Like you said though, it is motivating when you know that we are able to do something so many others can't.

    Thank you and please send some recipes my way! I'd love to try them out! Jaguevara3@gmail.com

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