Support

One of the ongoing themes for me during this “learn-to-run” thing has been support.  What you can do with support and what happens when it’s lacking. 

I have always been a sucker for really comfortable shoes.  Buttery smooth leather; thick, squishy soles; warm, cuddly interior.  So obviously running shoes are of major importance.  One of my concerns has been about how my feet and legs would hold up.  I haven’t really had past problems, but running is pretty hard core, and cement and asphalt are not friendly surfaces.  Plus a long ago horoscope once mentioned that knees could be a weak spot for people with my birthday, so I definitely needed to take care.  I really wanted sneakers that would cradle my feet, support my arches and ankles, and save my soles from the pounding.  And if at all possible, make me run faster.  Inside Track was the place to get them.  I spent over an hour trying on 6 different pairs of the most squashy, comfortable shoes invented by man.  Each new pair sent me sproinging around the parking lot (they let you test them out!).  I settled on the Brooks Glycerin 10.  They have treated me well so far.  The ground is still pretty hard and a mile has not gotten any shorter, but I feel like those shoes are helping me out every step along the way.

The Turkey Trot 5K back in November was my first ever race.  I had no idea what to expect or how the race would work.  I had the spiffy sneakers, but really had no clue what I was doing there.  However, I wasn’t alone.  The other “girls” were there too.  Melissa was our coach support that day; Charles was out of town.  I could tell Melissa’s back was bugging her (this was about two weeks before her surgery), but she got us moving and motivated, and helped me get focused and feeling positive.  And then she was hooting and hollering for us at the finish line.  And we all joined the cheering as each person finished.  It was amazing!  It really clicked with me that day what it meant to have this group of people with me on the journey towards the Run for the Arts.  The 5K race also taught me the importance of a really good sport bra, a lesson I continue to keep close to my heart (ha!).

Some of the toughest times for me training-wise have been when I’m out on my own.  Schedules have been pretty crazy lately and it has been challenging to find time when we can run together.  Easter Sunday morning I was out on my own, aiming for about 8 miles.  Things started out well enough, but about mile 3 I fell apart.  I had no energy, could only run a few minutes before I needed to walk, and I felt kind of queasy.  Home seemed really far away and I was nowhere near my goal.  But I was kind of near Charles’ house and I figured, if nothing else, I could go sit on his porch until I felt better.  So I kept going, just walking but moving none-the-less.  These were roads the group of us had run before and in the back of my mind I knew I could do it because we already had.  Yes, it was a strange kind of Harry Potter "patronus" moment, but it worked.  I made it around the route I had planned, and I felt the invisible support of the group through the rest of that run.  It started raining when I was about 10 minutes from home, but that was OK because now I have conquered that too.

One of the primary reasons I felt I could start this journey was the support I knew I would find with the Gamut Girls.  And the support has been beyond what I thought it could be every step of the way.