I Never…

I spent some time during my run last night thinking about how funny life is. Here I was, passing mile four, thinking about the fact that I never thought I would or could be a runner. I never thought I could run an entire mile. In high school P.E., on mile day, my best friend and I would walk it. Yes, there was laziness at play, but really, they can’t fail you for not running it. Plus walking and talking is a seriously important friendship-building technique we mastered in gym class. I don’t think I have ever been “naturally athletic,” though I did play basketball for a few years from sixth-eighth grades. But, at that time, my exercise-induced asthma gave me some trouble and I’d go into full on lobster-mode after each game (the joys of being fair-skinned). You know what the thing about exercise-induced asthma is? If you don’t exercise, you don’t have asthma. Convenient.

In the spirit of life constantly surprising me, here are a few things I never thought I would do:

I never thought I could be a runner: Honestly, who are these crazy people who run? From anything other than a bear or fierce jungle cat? I’ve spent my whole life being that naysayer who just did not understand how people found running fun. But then, about 4 years ago I started to dabble in running. It was something I wanted to like and wanted to be good at. For the last four years my on-again, off-again relationship with running has been both rewarding and frustrating. I’ve fallen off the wagon numerous times and yet keep coming back for more. But a change happened earlier this week. On Saturday, I went downstairs, hopped on the treadmill, covered the screen with a towel, turned on season 1, disc 1 of The Big Bang Theory and ran. I vowed not to look at the time or distance, but just run until I was done. After the first two episodes, I cheated and peeked. At just about 3 miles, I was feeling pretty good. 3 is my usual “long” run, with my runs being about 2 miles on average. I decided to run on. After another episode, I peeked again. A bit over 4 miles. I was still feeling like I had a bit more gas in the tank so I started another episode. I figured if I got to 5, I would be tied with my all-time long run from a few years ago. The episode finished and I looked once more. There I was, just shy of 6 miles. At that point, I had to do it. I couldn’t just stop right there. The next episode started and after the first scene I looked again. 6 miles. I decided to make it 6.2 at that point. I just sort of accidentally ran my first 10k. And the crazy thing is I ran the entire way. I never thought I could run one mile, or three, but definitely not six. If you asked me two weeks ago if I thought I could run 10k I would have looked at you like you’d lost your mind. I could maybe imagine some combination of running and walking it (emphasis on walking), but to run for an hour and a half straight? Unbelievable. I’d like to thank Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, Raj and Howard for their contributions to this feat. In the 5 days since that run, I’ve run 3 miles and another 6. That’s 15 on the week. That’s a record for me. And the crazy thing is… I enjoyed it.

I never thought I would try, let alone survive, a P90x workout: So remember that part about not being athletic? It comes back again. P90x is for the hardcore. The ones who don’t think normal workouts are enough. That is not who I am at all. When Stephen started doing P90x 27 days ago, I thought he was crazy. But he’s a Rabon, born with athletic genes. So it kind of made sense. I watched a couple workouts while I ran on the treadmill behind him. I’d never seen him sweat like that. Yet, on a whim, I thought I would try one of the non-weightlifting workouts. Plyometrics. Jump training. I shocked myself by not only starting the workout, but by finishing it. Could I do all however many reps of everything? No. But I still did all I could and lived to tell the tale. Could I walk properly the next day? No. I have now done 4 different P90x workouts. Plyometrics, Yoga X, Kenpo X and X Stretch (okay so that’s less a workout and more a lovely, lovely hour of limberness). While I’m sure it could be said that these are the easiest of the P90x series (with the exception of Plyometrics, which Tony Horton introduces as the mother of all workouts), I still did them. And am continuing to do them on my running “off days.”

I never thought I would own and use a juicer (and enjoy it): As a preface, I enjoy eating vegetables. I haven’t come across a vegetable that I truly dislike (with the exception of onions). I like fruit. I enjoy pretty much all of the normal fruits (I haven’t tried some of the more exotic fruits like starfruit). However the thought of drinking them? Kind of unappealing. Especially when the juice comes out a kind of murky green/brown color. Combinations like carrot-apple-celery-kale-cucumber-kiwi? Weird. But I’m not going to lie. It was surprisingly tasty. Proponents of juicing talk about all the health benefits including increased energy and better skin. I drank a big glass of juice prior to my 6.2 mile run. I’m not saying the two are a definitive cause and effect but I’d never run 6.2 miles before that night. I’m also really hoping for the skin clearing effects since I still have spots.  Juicing had always been for “health nuts.” Maybe I am becoming one.

I never thought I would live somewhere where it snows: Ah, the crazy things we do for love 😉

 

I’m sure there are a great many things that I could add to this list if I really thought about it, but these were the few that came to me during the 6 miles I put in last night. I’m curious to know what things the people who read my blog never thought they could do that they are now doing– leave me a comment and let me know!