RUNNING
How I Became a Runner Despite the Odds
A comeback story
Many years ago, I was obese. In fact, I overate, rarely worked out, and was pretty sedentary for most of my life. With newly formed stressors like homeownership, a more difficult job, and thinning social network, I felt like it was just getting worse. Originally, I felt like I could just eat, drink alcohol, and work myself out of the hole I felt I was in, but it wasn’t really working. I didn’t feel very good a lot of the time. That was all going to change.
One day, I was invited to a running club by someone who said we’d run a few miles and then have beers after. The thought of traveling to the city to try some new craft beers enticed me, even if it meant having to join in on a few miles. Rarely ever running, I still had confidence that I could knock out three miles without much trouble.
Boy, was I wrong. I made it two blocks before my entire chest began to really hurt. Breathing became difficult and my head was reeling with discomfort. I embarrassingly walked the rest of the way back. Anytime I tried to run again, it felt like I was out of breath and my veins were pumping battery acid. I reached the bar finally, and everyone was well into their first or second beer already. I sat at a table sipping a beer, feeling completely defeated. I vowed I’d never feel…
