So I started running. Well, maybe it’s more like jogging. Actually it’s probably more like a movement in which both feet leave the ground for a nanosecond or two. But the point is, I started running. I’m not what you would call a goal-oriented person or an overachiever by any means. I am probably more of a meanderer. That doesn’t mean I don’t accomplish things, but I’m not exactly driven. So the fact that I have this desire to push myself to run a 5k is really weird. And it’s because of Chimney Rock.
We visited Chimney Rock, NC last December. Chimney Rock is beautiful, and it is a big rock. It takes a lot of stairs to get to the top of Chimney Rock. After the first few flights, my legs were screaming and my breathing was a little bit ragged. Each time we reached a new plateau with a lookout spot I would say, “Wow, that’s beautiful! I don’t think it can get better than this. Let’s head down.” But alas, my family wanted to go all the way to the top. I made it up there and it wasn’t that bad after all. But the experience made it clear to me that I don’t push myself often. I would do a little work out each morning and play tennis occasionally but I realized that it had been a long time since I pushed myself to do something physically challenging. I was usually happy just doing a little something.
After that trip, a friend and I made a promise to walk 2-3 times a week. We got started and headed up and down the hills of our neighborhood. We were pretty regular and I was feeling pretty good. My friend sets a quick pace and I had to move to keep up with her. Plus the hills were a bear. About three weeks into our program, my kids got invited to run in a 5k with a friend. I looked at my husband and said, “How far is a 5k?” The morning of the race dawned bright and pretty cold. We took our kids, signed ‘em up and watched them run off with a friend. As we watched them go, we just looked at each other and said, “We should be able to do this.” Nothing like a little hurt pride to get you motivated.
So that very afternoon we downloaded the Couch-to-5k program on our ipods. We started week 1 with 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds to recover. I thought I would die. It is now 6 weeks later and this morning I ran for 25 minutes, almost 2 miles. Who would’ve thought? I told my friend who runs marathons that I didn’t think I would ever really like to run. She looked at me quizzically and said, “I don’t like to run. I just like how I feel because I run.”
And it’s all because of Chimney Rock. So I think traveling is good for us. It gets us out of our comfort zones and challenges us to new experiences. Summer’s coming and there are lots of outdoor spaces to be found and cherished. So go climb a rock.
Original Post April 14, 2010
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