17 November 2011

If you want to make progress, you have to actually start...


Last night, I saw progress.

I felt it.

destroyed my workout. The plan called for three mile repeats at 5K pace (actually 1.16-mile repeats based on my route) with 0.2-mile (approximately 3 minutes) recovery in between. I gave myself a 1.5-mile warm-up, running a little faster than 10-minute miles, and followed with a 0.75-mile cool down at 10:30 pace.

  • 7:55 pace     (quarter splits:  2:00/2:01/2:00/1:54 + 1:15)
  • 7:44 pace     (    "         "    : 1:56/1:59/1:59/1:53 + 1:06)
  • 7:36 pace     (    "         "    : 1:55/1:54/1:56/1:53 + 1:06)
It has been awhile since I've really taken a workout to task like that. As I ran the last straightaway up to my final turn, I felt myself flagging. I jumped on the words "Dream Big" that my friend and fellow blogger, Dorothy of Mileposts often says, and a visual of her strong running form popped into my mind. I held it together and accelerated through the finish of that repeat. I cannot believe how fast I ran it.


If you had told me a year and a half ago that I would run my last mile repeat at 7:36 pace...wait, no...if you had told me a year and a half ago that I would run someday, I would have laughed out loud to mask my anger and frustration and sense of despair. I'd like to tell you again why.

Four years ago, I was a depressed mess. Our family had had some very challenging issues to deal with and had just moved. Due to my bum hip, I had been in constant pain for roughly five years. I 'walked' with a pronounced limp. I couldn't move fast enough to escape an oncoming car or beat out a meter maid at an expired parking meter. If my toddler son took off down the street (which he did all the time), I was helpless as I watched him tempt imminent danger. It was terrifying, and it felt hopeless. This was not a diagnosed injury, but it was very much there. The situation was taking me to the scary edge. As I was 'hitting bottom,' I found my miracle-worker/physical therapist at SOLPT (see sidebar).

Three years ago, I was pregnant with my fourth child and struggling to maintain the increased mobility my physical therapist's hard work had yielded. The failing economy made regular visits less frequent, the pain returned, and my hip made little, if any, progress.

Two years ago, I had a new baby and had to relocate again. The economy still sucked. Life was still stressful. My hip still hurt but seemed to be in some sort of stasis. I was wondering if I would ever again in my life be pain-free.

Never lose faith.

Fifteen months ago, my son took off. He does that...just takes off...always has, remember? I chased him down and caught him. Wait...what? Yes. I ran for about one hundred feet! Pain-free! I knew it was time to begin. Within two weeks, I was slogging past three lamp posts (it took about three minutes), walking forty steps frontward, walking twenty steps backward... *REPEAT*  four times in a row every other day for three weeks. It was a fifteen-minute regimen. It was a start.

Fourteen months ago, I was plodding for five minutes straight, walking twenty steps forward, walking twenty steps backward... *REPEAT*  three times in a row every other day for two weeks. It was an eighteen-minute regimen. It was progress.

Thirteen and a half months ago, I was trudging my way through two continuous, slow, hip-pain-free miles a couple of times a week. Lumbering like a giant tortoise, I was out there...doing it. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, and I certainly wasn't fashionable, but after two weeks of that, I graduated from trudging to shuffling! And I completed my first 'long' run of three miles :) Again, progress.

A year ago, I ran a timed mile. I ran it in 8:51. It was hard, and it felt like a step back because a month before, I had run my first timed mile since I had started running in a speedilicious 8:45. I was bummed. But I was not defeated. I persevered. It was mental progress.

Now!

I ran three mile repeats (the last one at 7:36 pace) last night. I'm running in a 5K on Thanksgiving, hoping to crush last year's time by many minutes. The RockNRoll Las Vegas Half-Marathon is December 4th, and I'm ready to take it on. I've bravely registered for a full marathon this coming Spring. I never thought these things would be possible.

Progress.

All because I had the courage and faith to start.


39 comments:

  1. Excellent post and I really feel the words as they apply to me in many ways. I am still a new runner and I will keep faith and get back on the road, it just sucks to think of how far I came this year...1200 miles by October, 1st marathon sub 3:50, and training for a 50 miler and now I am stuck, waiting on a solution. Thanks for writing this and sharing some of your journey.

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  2. So AWESOME Marjorie!! Inspiring!! Keep on taking it on girl!

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  3. Wow! Impressive and inspiring. You exercise *and* find time to write about it. You are practically a goddess in my book. Way to go!

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  4. I totally know where you're coming from, and it's so inspiring to read about other people going through the same process. In many ways the mental struggle is harder than the physical struggle, because you have to not stop the program. You have to be patient, even when it seems like nothing is happening. Then, over time, you see gradual improvement. You have to be smart, to know when to push a bit to get through a barrier, and when to back off a bit to recover. Congratulations you!

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  5. Beautiful, girl! So proud of you. You've come so far in such a short time. WTG.

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  6. WONDERFUL!!!
    This post made me do cheer at my keyboard this morning. Inspiring to say the least! :)

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  7. You are getting so fast! I am so happy for you!!

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  8. Absolutely love the post title. Love. You should make a pretty little html button or glue it to a scrabble tile to wear around your neck.

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  9. Not just progress, but HUGE progress! I loved reading this, especially as I begin my re-entry to running after a long layoff. High fiving you right now! (So 80s, but hey, that's how old we are)

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  10. Thanks for the reminder that 0 to fit isn't a fast journey and to not get discouraged. I have tears in my eyes reading this summary of your journey. Best wishes for a crushing time at the 5K and the half in Vegas. I know you'll pull an awesome 26.2 this spring.

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  11. I love this! Your story is so inspiring!! You're right...it doesn't matter where you are when you decide to start...you just need to start!! You are one quick chick! Keep rocking it!

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  12. Wow! You have come such a long way- very motivatinal words.. Keep up the good work!

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  13. Amazing progress! So happy you overcame some tough obstacles!

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  14. You are doing so great! Look how far you've come in really a short time! I'm proud of all you have accomplished and you better be proud of yourself! Congratulations on having the faith and courage to begin something hard! You are AMAZING!!!

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  15. Amazing workout. I'm sorry you had to go through the agonizing hip pain. And I'm inspired by your determination- with 5 minute workouts all the way to kickin' booty in 1/2 marathons. You can dooooooo it!

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  16. this is SO AWESOME!! i love it. i really needed to read it today, too. i had huge progress in my running leading up to MCM. that was almost three weeks ago and i have run *2 times* since that race. i am going to start training again dec 4 and told myself to take it super easy until then just running whatever/whenever i felt like it. but now all this self-doubt is creeping in. i think it is time to start running more again and remind myself how much progress i made and how much more progress i can make moving forward too. great job, congrats on your amazing progress and thanks for sharing!!!

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  17. You have come so far and are nothing but inspiring!! Nice job on the mile repeats, that is fantastic!

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  18. omg. this post just gave me chills!! congrats friend! love your determination and perseverance!

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  19. Duuuuude, you are a rockstar. That is seriously so fast.

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  20. Thank you so much for this...just what I needed to hear!

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  21. Dear friend, I am glad you decided to write down this post! Just as it has inspired me, judging from all the comments you've received so far, there are many others out there who were also touched by your story. It showed that nothing is impossible, as long as you stick to moving forward and making progress. By sharing the story of your 'beginning,' people like me, who have um, ZERO confidence in running (lol), now feels like there's actually hope for us :)

    You are one amazing woman!

    xoxo

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  22. Awesome job! I always have the problem of getting negative during my runs and how hard it is then I think back to when I could only run for 30 seconds. Looking back on the progress you have made is always SO rewarding!

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  23. love this post - as a currently injured runner, it's a good reminder that good things will come if I continue to work at it! Thanks!

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  24. oh, and since my last comment made it all about me, I also wanted to say you are a ROCKSTAR and WTG on that workout - so fast!

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  25. You're awesome, I'm so proud of you!
    And I hope you realize, that not only have you overcome an injury, but you are completing athletic endeavours that MOST people woudln't try and couldn't complete without injury! You are an inspiration!

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  26. Great post. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Whether life or running, the concept remains the same.

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  27. Just awesome! You have made tremendous progress in such a short time! Really inspiring!

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  28. YOU ROCK XL! I think most of us know YOU have it, now "its" revealing itself to you!!

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  29. allez Marjorie!
    I love this post
    Progress indeed
    If I could drink something for adult I'd raise my glass to you
    so here's my glass of water raised up!
    cheers!

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  30. You have made incredible progress. That is quite a journey you have been on!

    Cheers to continued success and growth and PROGRESS!

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  31. Excellent post. Doesnt progress feel god?

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  32. I meant good. Damned iPad and turbulence. Love following your journey, keep it up.

    I need you to place a few bets in vegas too..

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  33. So, so, so awesome!! I am so happy for you that things are going so well! I seriously cannot wait to hear about Vegas, so wish I could be there to cheer you on! And I hope that one day when I finally get to run with you, I can keep up. :)

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  34. That's practically, well - miraculous! What a story! And 5 children! (-: I am in awe.

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  35. How inspiring. I hope one of these days I find the dedication that you have found. Can't wait to hear how you do in your upcoming runs.

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  36. Wonderful story, and GREAT training times! Good luck on the Turkey Trot next week!

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