Precisely
speaking, I have not yet been a true runner—as in one who runs on a regular basis—for
quite thirty years. Loosely speaking, I
have been a runner longer than thirty years, since my high school years, in
fact, because I had these occasional short spurts of
time when I would go running in the early morning with my father, one who really
has been a runner—in its truest sense—for much of his life. Not until I decamped from my homeland to
dwell on other continents, however, did I become someone more worthy of the
label runner.
Although
recent years have compelled me to engage more consciously with the continuing
depreciation of my running mechanism—my body—there is nothing like running a
10K with the niece and the nephews, runners perhaps more naturally gifted and definitely
a full generation behind me in body depreciation—to force a full frontal confrontation
between what was and what is!
And the reality that my average minutes/mile time has increased!
The beginning . . . and I believe there is even a smile!
Near the finish line . . . sans smile . . . hmmmm.
Still,
I so loved the chance to run that 10K with them. (Okay, run that 10K WAY behind them!)
And still, I like to run. I like that I can run. I like the person I am when I’m running. So I keep on running…as best as I can.
And
to do so, I have learned to tweak and re-calibrate. Let me elaborate:
- For two arthritic middle toes on the left foot: Running socks with toes (brand Injinji). Whether or not the socks effect a medical difference, my toes feel measurably better, and I haven’t had an arthritic flare up in over six months.
- For plantar fasciitis on the left foot: One month’s worth of prescription pain killer from the doctor, foot roller, foot stretches, and change up running shoes. (I have at least two pairs of running shoes in use and prefer to have three.) No recurrence for almost a year now.
- For occasional twinges in the right knee: Stretch and strengthening exercises suggested by the sports medicine doctor visited 25 years ago. (Still the right fix even now!)
- For sporadic hip pain, usually on the right: Be gentle but try to run through it—this usually works. Also stretching.
- For sporadic pain in the right shoulder: Be more conscious of the angle and swing of the arms. Be gentle but run through it.
And to avoid pain, stiffness, and injury, I have learned these:
- Skip a day between runs and only three runs/week max when teaching school. (Otherwise, I tend to get sick.)
- Pilates/Yoga.
- Butt kicks, skipping, and a bit of running backwards included at the end of some runs.
- Lunges.
- Walk to and from school on the days without a run.
- Stretch routine, especially after a run.
And
I keep on running . . . with more joy in the moment than my face might ever express . . . because I still get to run!
