The Itch to be Active

Lately (as in, the past few months), I've had this itch to be active.

Specifically, to run.

Which, if you know me in real life, is a bit odd.

I'm not a runner. I've never been a runner. I don't like to run.And let's not forget that right now I have a bulging disc, and am already spending the larger part of every day in pain.

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And then, I saw a less-than-flattering picture of myself. And as much as I would love to be able to blame the person who took the pic, I can't.

In fact, it is probably in the quality of the photograph that I am seeing how I really look.

And I was mortified.

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And then I had a really busy week, where it seemed like everyone was tugging at me from all directions.

Even the good, fun, social things.

Because this gal is an introvert, and regular alone time is a necessity to keep me from losing my mind.

But our calendar is already pretty darn busy for the next three months, one event after another.One person-filled event after another.

I realized I needed to find a way to achieve alone time. Something that couldn't be taken away from me, except by myself. Something that co-workers, friends, family - not even Jena- could interrupt.

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And I realized... running would satisfy all of those.

I googled running with back injuries, running with lumbar injuries, running with bulging discs.

The general consensus seems to be that it's not painful while you're running, but when you stop & rest the pain is quite unbearable.

I talked it out with Jason.

My thinking (crazy as it may be) is that my back is already screwed. I'm already headed for surgery. But my consult isn't for another month, let alone the procedure. That gives me at least a month to run. At least.

Because I have to do something. I have to.

And the hubs is on board. He's supporting me as I try to see how badly I can screw up my spine whip myself into shape.

I started googling running shoes.

Because I don't remember the last time I wore tennis shoes. Maybe last year? And the ones I have are old & beat up & falling apart. And most likely not running shoes.

And then I realized I still needed to figure out when & where I could run, that I could work into my routine, that I could do alone.

A park wouldn't do, because I'd have to take Jena with me, who would distract me from my goal, and totally destroy any hope of alone time. And Jason would want to come when he was home, which isn't so bad, but I need my alone time.

And then I remembered. Earlier this year my place of employment opened a brand new walking trail thru their campus. The same campus I work on. Over a mile of wooded trail, at a place where I already spend a good part of my day. Five days a week. Close to Jena's preschool. Private. Safe. Monitored. 24 hour security & trained EMTs. And the icing on the cake? The path starts on the other side of campus from the building I work in. Which means little chance of running into co-workers.

It's perfect.

I think.

Today I took a smoke clean air break and checked it out. It's nice. Has 2 mild inclines (what do you expect, we do live in the hills of Kentucky, LOL) and is very peaceful.

My only issue is that it's not lit. And if I'm running after work, it won't be long until that gets into dusktime. But it's still really nice.
My plan is to run every day after work, before I pick up Jena. I'll drive over to the other building, change in their bathrooms, and run.

My goal is 20 min, so all together I'm estimating I'll pick up Jena from preschool 30 minutes later. It's not perfect, as we already struggle with having time in the evenings, but it's the best solution I can think of. Driving to any other location and then starting adds time onto the equation. Doing it any other time of the day requires finding someone to watch her, or attempting to drag her along with me.

This is perfect.

And so when I told Jason I'd figured out when & where, he suggested I download the Couch to 5k app to my phone, and he would do it at the firehouse, and we would be doing it "together". Apart.

Perfect.

I have no idea how this will affect my back. I suspect that all the websites are correct, that pain will be minimal during the exercise, but excruciating afterward.

But I have a bottle of Vicodin my doctor prescribed me sitting unopened in my medicine cabinet. I'm already in pain. And no matter what I do, I'm still gonna need surgery.

So why not give it a try? The way I see it, I have nothing to lose.

But maybe some poundage. And some body issues.

And I have everything to gain.

Like higher confidence. A sense of accomplishment. And a smokin' hot body (right? all runners are hot, right?, LOL)

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So that's my latest crazy idea update. Wish me luck!