running
At the end of 2019 I could barely run even a minute to catch a bus. Then at the beginning of October 2021, less than 2 years later, I completed my first marathon. I say that I completed, and not ran my first full (42.2k) marathon. I was doing more walking than running after about 25km, but I did achieve my main goal, and I crossed the finish line.
This post is sort of a condensed version of things that got me from never having run before to completing a marathon.
It all started in late summer of 2019 when I developed a rather significant pain in my hip that turned out to be an inflamed tendon. The pain was radiating down my entire right leg, and was most severe when I was sitting or laying down. Oddly enough, and I suppose luckily, being at work on my feet all day was what provided me relief.
That pain lead me to some rather torturous sessions of physiotherapy. The way the physiotherapist described it to me was that the tendon was inflamed and swollen, and when I was not on my feet and being mobile the tendon was slack, and the inflammation was resting against my hip bone. It was like a bad toothache level of pain. It was so bad that I could not sleep without taking pain medication.
She gave me some exercises and stretches to do. I kind of resented doing those exercises at first, but begrudgingly did them anyway a couple times a day. It evolved into a daily routine that reminded me of an earlier time in my life. Back when I was in my 20's, when I used to have a pretty solid fitness routine.
The pain finally started to ease off. It was a few weeks before it was tolerable enough for me to sleep without medication. It was still there, and I was still going for physio, but I could at least sleep and sit down without being in agony. Not long after, the pain faded away completely.
At around that same time I had worked a half shift of overtime on a Saturday. I was walking to the bus stop on my way home. I saw the bus I needed sitting, waiting to make a left turn before it would arrive at the bus stop. I thought, 'if I run, I can get to the bus stop before the bus.' So I ran. Altogether I think it was about 30 to 40 seconds. I made it to the bus stop just as the bus pulled up.
I got on the bus and sat down. I was sitting there completely out of breath, gasping for air. My heart was pounding so hard. Like it might explode out of my ribcage. I sat there waiting for it to ease off. But it was not easing off at all. I felt panic, which most likely didn't help much. I remember thinking, oh my god, I am going to have some sort of cardiac episode on a transit bus. Then it did ease off, and slowly went back to normal. It was elevated long enough to frighten me.
That pain in my hip, and then that incident on the bus were two major things that motivated me to start taking better care of myself. I kept on doing the physio stretching routine long after I felt like I no longer needed to, and then at the very end of 2019 I started going to the free gym at the building where I live.
2020, a new year, began. I was even in the gym on New Year's Day. Quite motivated to get healthier.
Then in March,
COVID
I thought, well, I wanted to get fit, and now with a deadly virus spreading around the world; getting fit is likely even more important. I wasn't about to give up on it even though everything was mostly pushed to the backburner, and I suddenly had no access to the gym.
The paramount focus of all my activities then was improving my cardio fitness. My original plan for that was to use cardio equipment at the gym. With that taken away from me I decided to give running a try. So, when most people were in a panic, and freaking out about there being no toilet paper to buy, and panic shopping groceries until the shelves were empty, I went out and bought my first pair of running shoes.
Then on the 16th of March 2020, I ran for the very first time in my entire life. It was quite difficult, and felt rather awkward. I felt heavy and clumsy and became out of breath very quickly. I managed 3.84km, and it was more walking than running.
I kept at it though. Kept adding distance. Felt my cardio health improving. Week after week I could run farther than the last without walking. It felt good. I found that I really liked running in many ways, and I was gradually becoming healthier than I had ever been in my entire life. Since that day in March 2020 I have ran more days than not.
Near the end of 2020 I had a thought:
'I'm turning 50 in July of 2021. Wouldn't it be crazy if I ran a marathon in the same year that I turn 50?'
Once I started thinking it, I couldn't stop thinking it. Then sometime between Christmas and the New Year I started searching online for marathons that I could possibly sign up for. I found one, and it was open for registration. The event was October 2021. I registered for it as a Christmas 2020 present to myself. Not only was I registered for an official marathon, it was also going to be my very first live running event ever. And it was the year I turned 50. Insane? Yes. Absolutely totally insane. I showed up though, and I completed the entire 42.2km, and crossed the finish line.