I Would Run 500 Miles...

... and I would run 500 more*.  Which is to say, this weekend I ran my 1,000th mile ever!

I don't know if "lifetime miles" is something that a lot of runners keep track of (although wow, with how much some of you run, I'd be really interested to know those numbers!), but I happened to figure out that I was at about 850 miles total at the beginning of the year, so I started keeping an eye on my mileage, knowing I'd be hitting a pretty big milestone of 1,000 miles sometime in 2014.

I logged my 1,000th mile at the beginning of my long run during the most perfect weather this past Saturday.  It ended up being one of my faster miles ever (and definitely the fastest mile of that run), which is pretty cool.  And I felt pretty great doing it.

I'm still constantly in awe that I can even run at all, much less significant distances and milestones.  As a kid, I was always the last one finished with a run in gym class, struggling to do even 100 yards in track & field.  No one ever told me that I could run slow, or that it was okay to feel out of breath, so I just assumed that running was something I would never be able to do.  This was reinforced after I had back surgery as a teen, running would be too jarring and could knock my "hardware" loose (for those who don't know, I have two titanium rods and a bunch of screws attached to my spine - titanium gets put in rockets and airplanes, so it's unlikely that running would break something that strong).  But for years I was told to never try running. And not knowing anyone else who had my surgery and had been able to start running, I didn't question it (though in recent years I've found tons of runners online who have had the same surgery - if only the internet had been a little more robust back in the 90's!).

I started dating Bob 10 years after my surgery, and coincidentally, a few months after his first Shamrock Shuffle, just as he was starting to get into running.  He encouraged me to give it a try, maybe I'd like it.  So when I joined his gym, I talked to a personal trainer there about getting into shape to run the 2008 Shuffle with Bob.  Yet again, that idea was shot down.  This trainer deemed it too risky, and again I was told not to run.  It wasn't until another 4 years later, when my trainer Katy had me doing shuttle drills during a personal training session, that it occurred to me that I may be able to run after all.  Katy knew about my back and didn't see any problem with making me do short sprints.  When I asked her if she thought I could try running for real, she was nothing but encouraging and supportive.  Katy said there was no reason I couldn't run as long as I didn't have any pain, which seemed like a common-sense approach.  And so, I became a runner.

That day when I was doing the shuttle drills, when I found out that I could, in fact, run, I never could have envisioned any of this.  The miles, the races, the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes along with running, and all of the friendships I've made through it.  I guess the lesson here is that sometimes you can do what everyone is telling you that you can't.  And being able to do that feels pretty amazing.

Making a Brooks ad with my first and favorite running buddy

*Thanks to geetabix for inspiring the post title