Running again

Dear Friends,

Wow, I appreciate your reception of our latest All Our Brave Hearts episode! Thank you.

A lighter post for today: I am starting to run for exercise. A long time ago, Tara and I used to run together. She was a runner in high school, and was even co-captain of the cross country team. So running has been a form of exercise and enjoyment for much of her life.

I, on the other hand, have never enjoyed running for sustained periods of time. I love galloping and jumping, but running for miles is not particularly fun to me. It is a lot of fatigue and physical sensations. I am not into it.

But I love being with Tara. So when she started inviting me to join easy runs, I would jump on the chance to do something together. I had not yet started spelling, so I couldn’t explain that I didn’t really like running. And I just loved being outside with her. Such time away from parents or teachers was rare for me.

And I did enjoy the exploration aspect of runs. It was fun to trot along trails and to see new routes.

We even did some races together. My mom was so proud to see me cross my first finish line. It was a cool experience.

But when I started spelling, I was finally able to tell Tara that I actually didn’t like running. She was shocked and apologetic. She never made me run again.

Well, now I need to lose weight for my blood pressure and cholesterol. We have done a lot to make my life more healthy, but with eating compulsions, it has been slow. I realized I needed to up my exercise, which already includes some strength workouts and yoga and stationary bike and many walks. I know strength workouts are important for weight loss, but I know running has always made me feel more fit. So I decided to ask Tara to resume being my running buddy.

It has been about a month. We are easing me into it. I walk, run, walk, run, etc. for gradually increasing intervals of running. The first time felt so clunky! My goodness. I felt so uncoordinated and heavy. But today, I felt so much stronger. We ran for a total of 15 minutes, my longest since resuming running, and I actually enjoyed it.

So I am proud of that progress. I wanted to share! I probably won’t ever get into running long distances, but I find the short runs tolerable. And I get to run with Tara, so I do like that part.

How do you feel about running?

Your Friend,

Danny