baby we were born to run
i have some news: i run now. not very far, not very fast, but for the past month or so, i've consistently hit the track 3 times a week and it feels AWESOME. i went for a few runs last fall but got busy (you know, what with mothering 2 kids, running a studio & surviving a pandemic) and thus didn't so much as set foot in a running shoe for a good 8 or 9 months. but i think this time it's gonna stick, and i wanted to share with you why that is and what i'm getting out of it.
first, running is incredibly affirming for me. it affirms why i teach and practice pilates and barre. you know how i'm always saying that pilates makes you ready for anything? it really does. i've literally not run a step more than a few feet across a playground for at least 7 years, but because of the embodied practices of pilates & barre, i am conditioned enough to wake up one day and, with no specific prep or training, run a mile or so with relative ease. that's huge! through babies, a pandemic, basically quitting dancing and turning 40, i am strong and fit. i hop to and i bounce back. i talk the talk and walk the - i mean, run - the walk. i'm stoked.
for context, it's worth noting that even before spending 5 years having babies (i.e., not running), i wouldn't say i've ever been much of a runner. it's something i did pretty consistently for my first few years out of college in an attempt to stay in shape for free (i was a dance major, which meant that upon graduation, i would go from dancing 6-8 hours a day in beautifully equipped studios to being a broke, probably lumpy waitress in possession of a lot of leotards). at that time, i did most of my running in the open space near my little lincoln log cabin on the outskirts of louisville, colorado, and later on the soft dirt paths around wash park in my charming denver neighborhood. but since moving to nyc 14 years ago? meh, not so much. i was too distracted by the traffic, i always felt sick from the fumes, and honestly, i was dancing and eventually teaching so much i didn't need running anymore. i already got more than enough impact cardio and mental health from african dance and was expending all the calories just living in new york.
anyway, so i run now, but i'm not telling you about it so that i can “be inspiring” or whatever. i don't think you need to go running to feel fit, and goddess knows what i consider running isn't gonna qualify me for the olympics anytime soon. i just felt i needed a little hot sauce to add to my training regimen and the studio is 2 blocks from the track.
it's the mindset shift that's come with running that's important to me, so here's some takeaways for you:
baby steps and beginner's mind. these are both crucial when developing a new habit. would you give a toddler “war and peace" to help them learn to read? clearly not. you'd stick to lift-the-flap books and “chicka chicka boom boom" until they demonstrate readiness for something more. and it's the same with exercise. you have to let yourself be new to something to really learn it. part of that means being curious instead of judgy, recognizing that it doesn't matter if it feels like i'm the slowest one on the track, or that to most people running a single 11 minute mile in a day doesn't count as “real” running. (there's beginner's mind.) i promised myself to run a mile until it's easy and then add a lap, until that becomes easier. (and there's baby steps.) there's no rush.
the training should fit the goal. when i have the goal to run a marathon, certainly i'll have to run longer than a mile at a time and will hopefully go a bit faster than my current perky trot. but until then, my goal is just to feel strong and look good, and honestly i don't have to run much at this point to progress towards that goal. i pretty much instantly felt & saw the positives from running. the point is that more isn't always better, and harder workouts are not necessarily more impactful - if i'm incapacitated by soreness, overuse or injury, i can't teach or mother as well, so what is really achieved by trying to do too much at once? nothin good, which brings me to my next point:
make it easy. not that any amount of running in 90+ degree heat is easy - what i mean is to make it accessible, make it fit into your life instead of trying to change your life all at once to fit your goal. i only run a mile and a half right now because i really don't have time/energy to commit to more, but as i get faster and my kids get more independent i can see the 15 minute runs swelling to 30 and beyond, and by the time that happens i probably won't be late getting out the door on account of changing diapers anymore, so there you go. biting off more than we can chew is a surefire way to NOT sustain a new habit. rarely does it work any other way, no matter what the latest 21 day challenge says it'll do for you.
celebrate tangential gains. in addition to being comfortable with being slow, knowing a short run is better than no run, and being nice to myself when i hate the cramps in my sides and sweat in my eyes, i feel committed to my new practice for all of its benefits, not just getting faster or going longer or looking sleeker. i love the endorphins and the mental space i clear. i dig the fact that i am a nicer person when i've spent time on myself in this way. i love how alive it makes me feel, how lifted and light on my feet. i like the feeling of control i get from it (i think many women do). and not for nothing, it turns out i like running in circles on a smooth surface while listening to self-help podcasts and occasionally returning soccer balls to handsome players.
anyway babes, that's it for today. take care, stay cool, and keep on being your creative, kind, curious and totally rad selves.
