Monday, October 09, 2006

Running

Running is really a pretty important part of my life. I began long distance running before 8th grade by entering fun runs during the summer. Cross country began in 8th grade and continued all through high school. I am truly a sprinter at heart though. Track consisted of me running 200 meters and 400 meters. My favorite race of all time was the 4 x 400 meter relay which I anchored my senior year. There is just something about running as fast as you can the entire length of the track. As crazy as it sounds, having the wobbly leg, barely able to stand feeling is really quite amazing. You knew that you had left everything on the track.

I've gone through phases of running since then. During undergrad I would run pretty much only if I had someone to run along with me. It was more social than anything else. During medical school it has become more about me. It's the perfect time to unwind after a stressful day. It also gives me a chance to think random stuff. Important stuff like boys of course!

Earlier this year I was running quite a bit more than I had in quite some time. I was running 7 miles a day 5-6 days per week. That of course seemed to stop almost instantaneously when I began my general surgery rotation. I've haven't been able to get back to that level of training. I'm going to work on it though. Just a bit over a week ago my city had it's annual marathon. It is definitely something I want to try again. I ran one about 10 years ago and swore that I would never do it again. I of course use the term "ran" very loosely. I think I finished in about5 hours. It's amazing how the pain of an experience like that will fade with time and make you think that it couldn't really have been all that bad. The plan is to get motivated this winter and be ready to run one again in the middle of June. That should work out well. Not only is it the same marathon I ran 10 years ago, but it is before residency begins the end of June.

It's hard to describe what it feels like to run on a consistent basis. I've found that I can actually sleep less and feel more energized when I run regularly. The cardiovascular benefits are amazing, especially for someone like me who doesn't have the best family history in the cardiac sense. Regular cardiovascular exercise is actually one of the few things that will raise your HDL, or good cholesterol. Sorry for flipping into doctor mode, it just comes naturally on occasion.

I guess my point is that I really can't imagine life without my favorite pair of running shoes. ASICS by the way.


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