Exercise Excuses

Running is one of those things that got into my blood. I craved it. Four years ago, I went from having a desk job & not running to thinking of 10 miles as a short run.

Then, life got crazy, and we’re not talking brain surgery. In the same month, my office closed, I bought a house and moved.  Running got put on the back burner. Now, I’m scratching to get back to the fitness level I now expect from myself.

Psychologically, I’m in a different place. I don’t have to prove a brain tumor is going to control me— The responsibility of running and staying fit takes a different psychological stamina. The paradigm of 5 years ago is a big shift – Running is a major part of my life. It’s one of the criteria I used when looking at houses.  If I didn’t feel safe running in the neighborhood, then I knew the house was not for me. I purchased a house in a neighborhood that for the most part is not part of the grid system – there is a network of cal du sacs and seemingly dead-end streets that restart a couple hundred yards away from the alleged dead end.

It’s a great place to run. But, with the lack of consistent work looming over my head,  running seems to be a luxury. My friend Jeanette Soloma at #SolomaFitness pointed out that I should run even if it’s only a mile. This was a dose of my own medicine as I know I’ve blogged about that in the past. Some running is better than nothing. My muscles aren’t as strong as they used to be, but I can still do 3 miles. Muscle memory kicks in and I go. I also recognize that the excitement of rebuilding muscles and neuro-pathways to run every day could be a slippery slope… I know I can do 5 so I push for 5. That is not wise for the first long run. I don’t want to over-do it and then not want to run the next day, or worse, injure myself. I’m focusing on alternating hard/soft work out days. One day 3 miles the next day 2 or 2 and the next day one. Slowly rebuilding what I had. A mid-distance 5 miler is not far off then I can get back to the short 10 mile runs on the weekend. Even in my current state, 10 miles is my favorite distance. As I work to get back to the distance I love, I will continue to build in speed work. I have two half marathons this fall with the goal to PR on at least one of them. The future continues to look bright.

Two Weeks Travel

Totem Poles @ Stanley Park,
Vancouver, BC, Canada

I have returned from a whirlwind trip to CT, Seattle, & British Columbia. I’m not quite settling into normal… The normal I have had is not the normal I am pushing myself to shift into. I still desire to get back to running several times a week. I need to remind myself of what Sherry Lansing said during my college commencement, “you can have it all; you just can’t have it all at once.” I am certain that she was not figuring brain surgery or any kind of health set back. Set backs and bumps in the road are expected. It could be seeing Jeff, or it could be the talk of commencement speeches, but it makes me recall high school. The valedictorian was a mutual friend of Jeff & me. In her speech she told us we would have bumps in the road. She spoke of the pet goat who was neutered & on the same day of his operation, was hit by the lawnmower & his horn was cut short. Despite the goat withstanding these traumas all in an afternoon, he lived a very full & vibrant life. She encouraged us to do the same.

2-hour sunset kayak tour

I doubt the goat was concerned about shifting his paradigm to something more similar to the life he had before surgery. I know I am not the same person I was when I had surgery. Priorities have shifted- most for the better. While not fully enjoying the demand for sleep, I am making it more of a priority. Needing to stay active is also a  priority. This need is not driven fear to be fit for the next surgery. It is driven by joy & the pure ability that I can do it. I like being able to run 10 miles & I LOVE the new coordination I have because I don’t have the tumor pressing on my cerebellum.

While traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I was outside every day & walked everywhere… likely 3-5 miles a day. I never quite grasped the metric system until I took up running & because of it, I could assimilate & speak in kilometers when talking distance. The bike ride around Stanley Park was 10k (6.2 miles) & the round trip distance from my hostel to the breakwater in Victoria was roughly 5k. I probably kayaked 3k in Victoria harbor (with Kelp Reef Adventures) and my Vancouver walking tour (including a trip to Lynn Canyon) is an estimated 6k. The hike with Jeff through a path in the Cascades just outside of Seattle was 7.2 miles. I was never at a shortage of activities & even though I gained 1 lb, my clothes fit better. (I’m hoping that 1 pound is muscle, not pastry/ice cream/coffee.)

Lynn Canyon Suspension 
Bridge. Next time, Capilano
Suspension Bridge

I'm back home and it's time to get back to reality. Instead of 8-10+ hours of activity, I am 8-10+ hours behind a desk and wheel of the car.  I need to shift again and carve out time to exercise. Also, as Jeanette at Soloma Fitness has been reminding me, I need to build in activities throughout my workday, particularly because I have a stationary job. Small stretches, leg lifts, etc, will keep me in better health. Jeanette is also the reason I keep a carafe of water on my desk to drink through the day.

With the strength I have built from vacation travel and a focus on "some distance is better than no distance," consistent long distance will become normal again. (The dance classes I start next month should also add a fun cardiovascular activity while helping cross another thing on my to-do list.)