| Nancy's
Story |
The following story was written in December of 2001.
Hello all,
I've been making some lifestyle changes lately. For one thing, I've cut my long hair, it's now just above my shoulders. But the most radical change is that I've started to run. Runners - they're an interesting breed. I've seen them along the road running along in all kinds of weather. Silly creatures!
Well, it all began one day last spring while eating lunch at Red Lobster with Stevie, a friend from work. While stuffing our faces with cheddar cheese biscuits and shrimp, we thought it would be fun to start running -- actually training -- so that we could run in a 5K race in September.
Dutifully, we began that very weekend. First, of course, this means I need to actually buy a pair of running shoes. I visit the local athletic equipment store and come out $90 poorer. Then we begin. Stevie has mapped out a 2 mile course for us. After 3/4 of a mile, Nancy begins to walk, while Stevie, (the rotten, little minx) can actually run the entire two miles.
The next day my legs felt like lead. I called my mother and lamented, "Mom, I'm old!" Mom just deadpans, "Yes, I know exactly how old you are, dear." (OK, so, no sympathy from Mom).
Nonetheless, I persevere and am eventually running the entire 5K distance (3.1 miles). I even remember the day that we ran it in under 31 minutes. We broke 10 minute miles! What a high. OK, OK, I am fully aware that world records are under four minutes. But, hey, I'm no world-class runner; I'm a 39 year-old mother and I'm happy. I know I'm ready for the September race.
The Goose Day 5K Run finally arrives in September. We begin. I hear my first mile time get called out - just under 9 minutes. Mile marker two - 19 minutes. I'm thinking, 'So far, so good. I'll have a decent time' and, 'hey, I'm not LAST.' At about 2. 8 miles a gaggle of girls is coming up behind me.They were some members of the middle school track team. Getting passed by a bunch of 13 year-olds is one thing, but here's the kicker -- their 26ish male coach is running with them giving them encouragement and running BACKWARDS, TAKING PICTURES. They all pass me. I glower at the coach running backwards as he passes me. He doesn't notice; he's still taking photos of his girls.
So, I go on with my wounded pride and am the 91st person across the finish line with a time of 29 1/2 minutes. However, by some miracle, I am third in the 35-39 women's age division. So the little trophy they award me soothes my pride and encourages me to go on with this running thing.
Stevie and I now decide to enter a race every month. This, we think, will keep us training 3 times per week, so as not to embarass ourselves in these races.
October brings the next race. My time isn't quite as good but there are more hills, so I'm not too disappointed. I'm at least feeling good about not being passed by anyone who was running backwards. However, a new lesson in humility is about to be mine. I discover after the race that the man who was three places in front of me was the oldest racer of the day; he is seventy-one!
November brings the Run for Freedom. All proceeds went to the Sept. 11th fund. Trust me, that's the only good thing about that race. It was HUGE hills and I had my worst race time ever, 31 1/2 minutes. A time, by the way, that would made me jubilant back in July -- how quickly my perspective changes.
December was the Jingle Bell Run. By the way, it snowed for the Jingle Bell Run. I finished with a respectable 29 minutes and 45 seconds, my friend Stevie finished in under 27 minutes. We had good times but didn't come close to placing. I remarked to Brian that it was odd that everyone is this race was such a serious runner. He reminded me that it was snowing outside, that only serious runners are out there in this type of weather. And that "Guess what, Nance. You're turning into one of THEM."
The January 2004 update
Well it's been almost three years, and Nancy and Stevie are still at it. We've also begun to drag others from the office into the running mania. Karl Leitzell's times are also added to our race times now and there are usually three or four of us who go for a lunchtime run.
Have there been injuries? Absolutely, I suffer from a recurring plantar faceitis; and Stevie is recovering from a pulled hamstring (it isn't healed yet - seven months and counting). Nevertheless, on we run.
What's next after running for several years. Bumping up the distance, of course. We are planning to tackle a 10-mile run in March and a half marathon in April.