My brothers played football, basketball, and baseball. I spent my time writing, playing piano, and singing show tunes. I never donned an athletic uniform of any kind; the closest I came was a pair of blue tights and the Smurf leotard I wore in my first dance recital. Growing up, I never identified with the athletes. I wasn't sporty, I was artsy, never realizing that I could be both!
I'm about a month into training for this half marathon and while I'm definitely more in tune to my creative side (especially when it comes to creating excuses NOT to exercise) I'm getting more and more comfortable in my new role: as an athlete.
On one of my most recent trips to the track I had the pleasure of sharing the lanes with a middle school track team. I began my laps as they hit the bleachers, running up and down the steps, and before too long they joined me on the track. It's not enough that training with actual runners on Sunday makes me feel like an out-of-shape slowpoke, but there I was being lapped by giggling 13 and 14 year-olds who were hardly breaking a sweat. I'm not yet 30 but suddenly I felt positively ancient among those kids. I was tired and my left ankle was a little stiff. It was official; not only was I SLOW, I was OLD and SLOW! I should have just turned off my iPod and headed for my car, but instead I stopped, took a few minutes to stretch my tired "old" limbs and quickly returned to the track. Only this time, I was faster, pushing myself to work harder because I wasn't going to let Hannah Montana and her tween track stars show me up! Suddenly, I began to lap them one by one! Just kidding, they were STILL running circles around me but unbeknownst to them their presence, while slightly annoying me, was actually helping improve my speed and endurance. I had this desire to get past the voice in my head that reminds me of all of the non-athletic labels I've given myself over the years.
On Sunday we did seven miles. As a half-marathon participant I was only supposed to do six but I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and do the seven with those who are training for the full. It was hot and I was tired and sweaty. Left to my own devices, I would have probably quit around mile five. I had the good fortune of training that morning with our team's coach, who kept pushing me to do more than I thought I was capable of. Every time he presented me with a new challenge he would preface it with, "Don't hate me, but......" For instance, "Don't hate me but now you're going to do 100 one-armed push ups" or "Don't hate me but now you're going to run the next two miles with your eyes closed." Okay, it wasn't quite like that, but in a sense it was, because he was challenging me to do things that I really didn't think I was capable of doing, things that I didn't think my body was capable of doing. I finished the seven miles and to my amazement, I finished that seven miles jogging, not walking. Not crawling on my hands and knees, not on a stretcher, but ME, JOGGING!!!!! After seven miles in the hot sun my body still had the energy to run!
I may not have the speed of those middle schoolers or most of the people who run alongside me on Sundays, but I'm thankful for every ounce of athleticism that I do possess. And limitations? Limitations are a thing of the past!
I am so proud of what you accomplished in going 7 miles on Sunday. You know it is interesting that when we are challenged physically by seeing others younger than us and the ease they seem to do things, it summons up something deep inside of us that says, "come on, push a little farther, you can do it, you do have the strength to make it a little more." I am reminded of that every time I go to the Y and see all of those 20 year olds and 30 year olds....running on the treadmill with such ease...not seemingly breaking a sweat or on the weight machines with their trim little bodies which seem to do everything with no effort. When I'm sitting at the leg press machine pushing with all my might, I look up and there is a banner of a man...maybe 30 years old lifting a weight that seems unbearable and I see the strain in his facial muscles...but beside his picture there is a Bible verse in bold letters...."I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Somehow, from deep inside, the strength comes to do that last set of 235 lbs. Yes, Jaime you can and you will finish the race ahead of you. I know you can. Not only will you finish but you will excel in that finish. Just remember, "In our weakness, HE is strong."
ReplyDeleteHi Jaime, I was just catching up on your last two entrys. I read the first one and thought, "she is crazy! She isn't old!" Then the second one...
ReplyDeleteI affectionately refer to 1985 and 1986 as the "skinny" years; too bad I didn't know enough to appreciate my height and long, skinny limbs back then.
Lady, you know in 10-15 years you are going to look back at pictures of yourself now and think, "my gosh! I looked good! Look at my skin! That skin is beautiful!" You are going to remember running every Sunday further and further and think, "I was rocking it!" You are young, you are beautiful and you are getting in the best shape of your life! Oh yeah and you are still a creative genius....At age 5, age 29 and in 30 years when you are hitting 60. You only get better.