Which direction do you run?

(No. 148) Do you run towards health, or just away from sickness?

We end our group hill workout at the Imagine mosaic on Strawberry Hill, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono used to hang out. This is one of Central Park’s many treasures. Photo by Michael Aleo on Unsplash

The other night I repeatedly ran up and down Central Park’s Strawberry Hill with my running group, and it made me realize that these days I am running towards health and happiness, and not just away from ill-health and unhappiness. There’s a nice distinction there that I hope everyone can experience, no matter the method they choose.

About two years ago my younger brother, Peter, agreed to hike across the Grand Canyon with me. I was 64 and he was 59, and we both wanted an adventure and a goal. The hike would be 24 miles long, with a mile or so of elevation gain, and we’d pass through many weather conditions, from snowy forest trails to 100 degree tracks. We expected it to take about 14 hours one day in mid-October, starting at the nearly empty North Rim and ending with dinner at El Tovar, an old luxury hotel set in the circus atmosphere of the South Rim.

At the time, I hadn’t run much since I’d had back surgery when I was 46. I did pilates, swam and lifted weights, but my cardio fitness was not great. The back surgery had left me with occasional numbness in my right big toe, and a tendency to cramp. I did not think I’d ever regularly run again.

Peter had been running regularly with a group for several years, and seemed to me to be in great shape. I told him I was envious, but wasn’t sure my legs could handle it. Then one day he suggested I try running with a group, with coaches that could advise me on form and other mechanics and fellow runners who might motivate me to run a little harder.

The group, organized by the New York Road Runners club, that also sponsors the New York Marathon, met in Central Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 pm, rain or shine. My first run with them was a gentle one minute jogging, one minute walking, yet I hacked and moaned my way through it. Afterwards, I felt proud, but the steps down to the subway killed my calves and knees. I called my brother as I waited for the train and he said, “well, just keep it up.”

I did. Despite injuries, such as shin splints and some kind of mysterious nerve-muscle pain in one leg that derailed me for 5 months, I have kept it up. Each time I am injured, or get the flu, or whatever, I restart myself at the beginning — one minute on, one minute off, for 20-30 minutes, and work my way up, week by week. Some weeks were tougher than others, yet I always felt great on the subway ride home. At the moment, I can run 30 minutes non stop, with no problems, and I’d like to test myself further.

My “blood numbers” are nearly perfect now, after starting to go out of whack a few years ago. While my weight is still up, I have much more muscle. And my mind is far clearer, most of the time, and I sleep better, 5 out of 7 days. (I consider that a success, after having slept poorly for years.) I don’t attribute all of this to running (my run is more of a jog), but the twice weekly running group has a lot to do with it.

The biggest change is that I’m now running towards feeling good, rather than running away from feeling bad. There’s a huge difference there, in terms of peace of mind, motivation and results.