By Cathy Bradley
Running
Cathy Bradley
As many of you know, I had a slight incident in the spring that was for me a bump in the road. It’s been about five months of frustration. The recovery has not been as fast as I would like.
Frustration because running is a passion of mine. I enjoy just getting out in the weather, early summer days, crisp fall days, even soft blankets of snow days. I enjoy the physical workouts, some longer than others. Some I enjoy while they’re happening and others I enjoy because they are over. I enjoy the peace and solitude of running. I come back mentally refreshed and feel physically alive.
I enjoy local races, seeing lots of local friends and supporting local causes. I look forward to the annual Thanksgiving race given by Rotary at High Plains Community Center. If you haven’t tried it, it is a 5K (3.1-mile) run and or one-mile walk and a great family tradition. I look forward to the Chili Run on New Years Day at High Plains Community Center. These are all family traditions for us.
I enjoy half marathons – some local, some not so local, but always a good cause. If you have followed the column, some are my passion due to location, and others involve a course I love running.
I’m always raising money for a great cause. The causes have ranged from local charities, such as food banks, coats for kids and diapers for babies. The larger runs supported anything from the veterans to cancer research to organizations that support cancer patients like the Ronald McDonald House, prosthetics for children and more. I have run Boston, New York, Chicago, Seattle, the Marine Corps and several others – all 26.2 miles.
Training required discipline. We train through the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter. We train through torrential rain and freezing snow. All are just with the attitude of a goal in mind. It’s not that hard if you build one day, one race at a time.
Now, I am finally able to start my walking. What happened? I walk half a mile to a mile on flat surface, and I am out of breath and my muscles hurt. Over the last five months of barely doing anything, can your muscle diminish in strength that much? I guess they can.
How can I be tired after one mile? I easily could pound out 13 miles and, with training, 26.2 without thinking about it. Now, a goal is walking two…three…four miles over the next months. My goal is to participate in the Thanksgiving road race, walking and with some great hope of a 5K in the future.
I’m keeping goals reasonable, which is hard for me. I continue striving for the next half and full marathon. I have done Boston the last 18 years, so don’t count me out. Starting over or just starting – get out there and join me.
Cathy Bradley can be reached at cathy@cbenterprises.com.