Bruce T. Holmes

Running

At first glance there's not a lot to learn here. You already know how to run. To be a runner, all you need do is expand the distance you can cover. That just takes time.

I started running because I wanted to be an athlete. I'd been a bust athletically during my high school days, and that feeling of inadequacy had carried into my adult life. I knew I had to do something about it. I decided that if I could run a marathon, I could call myself an athlete. No skill required, coming in last wouldn't matter, I just had to go the distance.

And so I became a runner. Equipment is minimal, a quality pair of running shoes and a place to run is all you'll need. I'm lucky enough to live in Evanston, so I've always had the lakefront to run along. The hard part is putting the shoes on and getting yourself out the door. Then you just do the best you can and trust the process, which means you have to take it easy. There are three adaptations which happen when you run. Your cardiovascular system improves its ability to transport oxygen. Your muscles improve their ability to use the oxygen. And the collagen of your body toughens up. Meaning that gradually your body becomes able to stand the stress of longer distances without hurting itself. But give it time. You can't go too slow. You can go too fast. It is not uncommon for runners to overdo and hurt themselves. So you start at an easy jog. When you get winded, you walk for a ways. When you feel recovered, you run again. You limit your mileage. So what if you only cover a mile each day for the first month. That's fine. When that starts to feel too easy, you'll go farther, but it must not happen overnight.

Getting stronger is about stress and recovery in equal measure. You tell your body about the increased demands you'd like to be able to place on it. You give your body time to recover, to make the changes requested. Which means you should always feel free to take a day off from the running. A perfectly fine schedule would be to alternate run day, rest day, run day, rest day. If you'd like some motivation to spur you on, get a subscription to Runner's World. And then just be patient with yourself.

Gradually the miles get easier. You find that running 4 miles is no big deal. You almost feel like it's not enough. Next thing you know you're running 6 miles and can't figure out why your friends go into shock when they hear it. A secret pride will grow in you. You'll feel like an athlete. Your body will fit you better. Running creates a well within you. There is a reserve there you can call upon when needed. Your will has been polished.

It took me three years to work my body into condition for the marathon. I remember reminding myself as I stood at the starting line, that this would be the act that defined me as an athlete. I looked to expunge my demons, and to my surprise I could find no trace of them. All the old feelings of inadequacy had faded while out there on my runs, when I wasn't looking. Being able to say that you ran a marathon doesn't grow old. It's this label you get to carry with you the rest of your life. These days there's a lot of support available if you'd like to set such a goal: clubs you can join, good advice on how to prepare. My only piece of hard-won advice is on the morning of the marathon, start out easy. Don't let yourself get carried away by the excitement of things and run faster than an easy pace. But it is doable. And the process of preparing, of looking forward to that day, and then finally running it, will be one of the great adventures of your life. It will be an accomplishment you will carry with you the rest of your life.

But please don't think you have to run a marathon to be a runner. You can run for the sake of running, for the pure joy of it, for all healthy changes it will make in your body. And if you'd like some easier milestones to mark your progress, there are plenty of shorter races you can run in. Don't think of these as trying to win. Think of them as celebrating what you've accomplished.

One morning many years ago as I ran along the lakefront on a cold autumn morning, I found myself approaching an elderly woman in a long overcoat held tightly about her. When she saw my skimpy running outfit, she called out, "Aren't you cold?"

As I passed her I called back, "If you keep moving, it keeps you warm."

A few seconds later I stopped for some reason and looked back. There was the old woman, jogging off into the distance, overcoat flapping about her legs.

Today I still run the lakefront every morning I can, checking out the sunrise, saying hello to the regulars, listening to my breathing. It's something I hope to do the rest of my life, a constant that has nurtured me and healed me and made me whole. It keeps me warm.