Thursday 21 July 2016

I Hated Running More Than Anything, So I Forced Myself To Sign Up For A 10K

Zahra-10K_Feat

Courtesy of Zahra Barnes

In high school, I was a swimmer and water polo player. Although I could slice my way through water pretty efficiently, my coach called me grandma whenever we cross trained with runs. I struggled my way around the basketball court like a puppet with most of her strings cut. My body was made for water, not for land, I’d joke. But after graduating and living in various cities, I realized that finding a free, clean pool near me with convenient lap-swimming hours is a whole thing. So, back in September, I decided to really give running a shot.

I started slowly, working my way from barely being able to run a mile to doing four by November. Then, thanks to my birthday and the holidays, I ate, drank, was very merry, and completely fell off the workout wagon. 

It all clicked again in March, when I went to Jamaica for Puma’s incredible 25th anniversary celebration of their DISC sneaker. Instead of laces, you use a little disc on the top of the shoe to tighten or loosen the fit. And since Usain Bolt is a spokesman for the brand, we spent some time with him in his natural habitat: a beautiful, bright blue track nestled in the hills of Jamaica. I wondered if maybe I would soak up some of his speed via osmosis. (I did not.)

We also watched the Boys and Girls Championships, which is a massive annual track and field competition featuring the most talented high schoolers in the country. Most of my family is Jamaican, and my mom has memories of watching the Champs when she was growing up. Just getting to be there was special. But watching these crazy-fast kids also made me wonder: With all this Jamaican blood running through my veins, was I sure I couldn’t run? Running was starting to seem like a way for me to connect with my family’s homeland even when stateside. I wanted back in. 

Zahra-10K-2

Courtesy of Zahra Barnes

The first rule of running is: Decide that you want to run. 

I went home inspired, with a pair of Puma’s neon green IGNITE DISCs in my suitcase (full disclosure: They, like everything else on the trip, were provided by Puma). Soon after, I emailed my editors and suggested I run a 10K just a few months later. I had the desire to start running again, but I needed a deadline to keep myself accountable this time. The second they responded saying they loved the idea, I wondered if I’d sent it over while in a fugue state. Me, the girl whose bed is her haven? How exactly was I supposed to run 6.2 miles in D.C.’s swampy July weather?  

Since no bed-to-10K program exists, I decided I’d try SELF’s 10K training plan, but quickly learned—when I couldn’t hit any of the first week’s milestones—that it was too advanced a strategy for me. It was kind of demoralizing—I’d spent so much time away from running that I was basically back where I started last winter. I was so terrified thinking about how the hell I was going to get ready for this race that I did what any rational person would do: I procrastinated and didn’t start training for another month.

The second rule of running is: You have to keep going.

I made myself start bit by bit, then amped it up to make up for lost time. It was going fine. Until the pain kicked in. Depending on the day, what felt like sharp streaks of fire would attack my lower legs, especially the left one, after I’d only run a few blocks. Even more frustrating? Sometimes I’d go out and feel like I was made to run, pushing my speed to the point where my marathoner boyfriend was impressed, estimating that I was clocking less than nine-minute miles. Other days, minutes into it, my legs would seize up and I’d end up hobbling back, pissed off and worried about my race. 

Completing euphoric, speedy miles made up for the days I had to limp home after I’d barely ventured from it. But I stuck with it, if for no other reason than to cross this race off my bucket list. I started cranking it up to almost five miles in June, but the good runs got fewer and farther between. I kept plugging away, stubborn and scared, hoping maybe if I ignored the problem, it would just go away. Correcting running mechanics as a beginner is almost more intimidating than the running itself. 

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