Virtual Runs

I have the heart of a runner.  I have known for years that running for exercise and enjoyment was something I wanted to do.  My problem is I have never had the body capable of doing more than a short sprint.  And my short, I mean quick enough to get me to the bathroom when I really have to go.  I ran like any kid growing up in my backyard, on the playground, or chasing our dog, but as I got older, my life became more and more sedentary until it wasn't a matter of if I wanted to run, I simply could not.  My PCOS didn't help matter either.  The more I gave in to cravings and chose to take naps instead of go for walks, the more the pounds piled on month after month which has bled into years of unhealthy days.  I don't expect to make a decision today to run a 5k and wake up tomorrow capable of it, but I do know that I can start on that path now. 

For those unfamiliar with virtual runs, they are no different from a regular race except you don't have to show up on a certain day with hundreds of strangers to run a course.  In fact, you don't have to run it at all.  You pay a registration fee which I have found most donate a portion of the money to charity.  You then participate by doing that distance; 5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon, etc.  After posting your time, you get a medal!  I don't know about you, but I'm a woman, and I'm motivated by bling!  In fact, I am going to dedicate a whole wall of my room to earning and displaying medals from my virtual competitions.  Then one day I will add medals from regular races.  Ken Davis said in his book, "Fully Alive," that one thing you learn as a runner is that races aren't about competing with the other racers.  They are about competing with yourself.  I'm not capable at the moment of going to a 5k race and even really competing with myself.  Most days I have to stop after half a mile to stretch the pain out of my lower back.  At 320 pounds, I can't go to a race and feel good about myself being there.  I may argue with myself later this year about that comment, but for now, it's how I feel.  Doing virtual races, however, will allow me to earn rewards at my own pace and at the right time.  I will still get to compete with myself, just in a different arena where I'm not watching people fade in the distance and start feeling bad about myself.  At this point in my fit journey, it's about small, measurable goals and being able to be consistent with them.

My first medal I am earning is on it's way here now.  This site doesn't require you to post your time before receiving it.  It may have been ambitious, but I did come out swinging, and since I'm sentimental, my first medal will be a half marathon for a race called, "She Believes She Could, So She Did."  I believe I can walk a half marathon split up over several days and I already have small measures of proof that I can do it.  I won't accomplish the goal before the medal arrives, although it may be fun to try, so I won't open it until the distance is met.  I put a little under a mile and a half toward the goal today.  Rain and snow will keep me away the next two days, but come this weekend, it's on!