I ran a tempo workout tonight. It was 10 minutes warm up. Two miles at 8 minutes and thirty seconds per mile pace and then a 20 minute cool down. It was my first official running workout in over eight years. Of course I have tried to do easy runs and even run Bloomsday a couple of times in that time, but I have officially begun training again. There is a 10K road race in March that I am going to run with a few friends.
The run today felt good, and yet silly as it may be I felt defeated. I have such mixed emotions. I feel like a whirlwind is swirling dust all around me. Eight months ago I could not run. Eight months ago I had the least amount of muscle mass in my body since I was a tiny child. The previous year of my life was spent on the couch and in bed trying to recover from and treat SIBO. I was devastated to roll into last summer feeling like I was the flabbiest I had ever been, the ugliest, and completely unable to workout or put an ounce of muscle on my body. That was eight long months ago. And today I ran two 8:30 minute miles. That is flat out incredible.
Six months ago is when I began working out. Right at the beginning of my Elemental Diet treatment, my husband purchased me a month membership to a local climbing gym. Having never climbed in my life, zero muscle and eating a diet very poor in nutrients (the Elemental Diet) my only goal was to be able to climb across a thirty foot wall (not even up), by the end of the month. The goal wasn’t obtainable for me. It took a solid six weeks to work up the strength to make it across the wall. That was in August of 2015. With the encouragement of my husband I continued to climb. Having been an avid athlete for my entire life it was so hard to try to workout beginning at literally zero in strength, endurance, and ability. Having never climbed I was not able to compare myself to any previous standards of mine. This was SO good for me.
I am so excited to be at a place where I can run, where I can train even just a bit, and workout several times a week. I’m having to learn how to juggle my work schedule and training schedule, but it is SO encouraging to run and climb again. So encouraging to see muscle on my body when I look in the mirror, and to be able to eat a brownie without side effects! Can you believe that!?!?! A brownie! Or a scone without getting sick!
It truly is amazing to be working out again, feeling healthy and on a road to recovery. I still dream of being super woman. Now I can see that one day, in the not too distant future, I may actually be the woman full of energy and strength that I want to be! My dream of super woman may not be as far off as I originally imagined.
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