The last time I ran was in January 10, 2010. Had I not blogged about it in my other blogspot at http://sentimentsmd.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-running.html, I would not have remembered the date. It seemed so long ago.
Because of the nurses who left the acute dialysis team, we had to spend long, gruelling hours at work spending 16-17 hours a day on the average in the hospital. I worked 4 times a week this time and the remaining 3 days were spent in recuperation. I did not have the energy to do anything else. I felt my body just endured a battering after every work day pulling the heavy dialysis machine and bringing the gallons of bicarbonate and acid with it. The winter weather did not help a bit. Just the feel of the stinging cold air totally dissolved whatever small good intentions I had of running.
However, after dreaming about running last night, I knew I had to get into those running shoes again. I found it amusing that my mind actually had to resort to dreams just to convince my body that it needed to get into running again. So I went to the clubhouse and tried the treadmill for the first time after 7 months of living in this apartment complex.
The place was deserted. The sun shone through the huge windows and I looked at the covered pool across the treadmill. The jacuzzi whirled not so far to my left, outside the glass door. I studied the treadmill and tinkered with it. I started with 2.5 speed then gradually climbed to 4 and stayed there for 50 minutes. I did not bother studying all the other features of the treadmill. I just wanted to get on to my work-out immediately. After 50 minutes and 5 miles, as I stared at the digital screen in front of me, mesmerized by the small rectangles lining up, increasing in number until it formed a loop to indicate a completed cycle, I suddenly switched to brisk walking. I was amazed that I "ran" at the pace of a brisk walk. No wonder I felt so relaxed! I could actually "walk" at this pace. I then pushed for speed 5 and finished my work-out in an hour.
Then I realized that in running, as with any endeavor, it is always the initial part that proves to be very challenging. But as soon as you get through the hurdle and you are able to move past the first stages of learning, you realize that you are capable of so much more. Your baseline moves up and you know that you have improved. Even though I have not ran for more than a month, when I got back to it again, it was just like riding a bike. Your body remembers everything. It does not reset to zero and I'm so happy to realize that. At least it is "forgiving". For someone who has not been very faithful to the sport, the sport did not totally abandon me. And now that I have "broken through" treadmill running in the clubhouse, hopefully, it will not be as difficult to drag my body the second time and the third time. Because I heard that as spring is looming ahead with promises of more sunshine and a fairer weather, rain can still dampen the day and keep you away from the running trail.
Because of the nurses who left the acute dialysis team, we had to spend long, gruelling hours at work spending 16-17 hours a day on the average in the hospital. I worked 4 times a week this time and the remaining 3 days were spent in recuperation. I did not have the energy to do anything else. I felt my body just endured a battering after every work day pulling the heavy dialysis machine and bringing the gallons of bicarbonate and acid with it. The winter weather did not help a bit. Just the feel of the stinging cold air totally dissolved whatever small good intentions I had of running.
However, after dreaming about running last night, I knew I had to get into those running shoes again. I found it amusing that my mind actually had to resort to dreams just to convince my body that it needed to get into running again. So I went to the clubhouse and tried the treadmill for the first time after 7 months of living in this apartment complex.
The place was deserted. The sun shone through the huge windows and I looked at the covered pool across the treadmill. The jacuzzi whirled not so far to my left, outside the glass door. I studied the treadmill and tinkered with it. I started with 2.5 speed then gradually climbed to 4 and stayed there for 50 minutes. I did not bother studying all the other features of the treadmill. I just wanted to get on to my work-out immediately. After 50 minutes and 5 miles, as I stared at the digital screen in front of me, mesmerized by the small rectangles lining up, increasing in number until it formed a loop to indicate a completed cycle, I suddenly switched to brisk walking. I was amazed that I "ran" at the pace of a brisk walk. No wonder I felt so relaxed! I could actually "walk" at this pace. I then pushed for speed 5 and finished my work-out in an hour.
Then I realized that in running, as with any endeavor, it is always the initial part that proves to be very challenging. But as soon as you get through the hurdle and you are able to move past the first stages of learning, you realize that you are capable of so much more. Your baseline moves up and you know that you have improved. Even though I have not ran for more than a month, when I got back to it again, it was just like riding a bike. Your body remembers everything. It does not reset to zero and I'm so happy to realize that. At least it is "forgiving". For someone who has not been very faithful to the sport, the sport did not totally abandon me. And now that I have "broken through" treadmill running in the clubhouse, hopefully, it will not be as difficult to drag my body the second time and the third time. Because I heard that as spring is looming ahead with promises of more sunshine and a fairer weather, rain can still dampen the day and keep you away from the running trail.
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