I Loved to Run.

Once upon a time, I loved to run.

I ran 5 days a week.

I read about it. I talked about it. I even taught a little on it.

I liked to run from town to town (Ladner to Tsawwassen; or Ladner to White Rock).

I bought powergels, goo, cliff bars and powerbeans.

I liked powerbeans the best.

I enjoyed carbo-loading three days before a race.



I ran a few 8-10 km races. I ran two half marathons, and I cursed at km 17 both times.

I felt good, confident and strong. I decided to face my fear and commit to the full-marathon training schedule.

At first, it went well. I set aside more time for my higher weekly mileage. I made my shuffle playlist longer, and packed more powerbeans. I ran all over town during the day and slept like a log at night. I never got sick, and I wasn’t affected by the decrease in hours of sunlight in the winter.

Once upon a time, I loved to run.

Not rain, snow, ice, wind, humidity or lightening would stop me. I ran in all seasons, in all weather conditions, at all different times of the day. I watched the sky turn blood red two years ago on an October morning- it was so beautiful that tears began streaming down my face. I leap over puddles and skidded on ice. I breathed deeply as I ran past freshly mowed lawns, the ocean, and hayfields that had just been cut in late summer. I ran past bright orange fields, full of pumpkins.

I got bugs in my mouth, my nose and my eyes. I stepped in dog poop. I crossed the street to avoid unfriendly looking farm dogs.

Sometimes I made phone calls on my cell during my walking breaks. Sometimes I had to make pitstops at a friend’s place or a business… to do… um… business. Sometimes I became “one with nature.”

I never felt more alone. I never felt more strength. I never felt more alive.

The jumble of thoughts untangled itself on those runs. Big issues shrank, stress melted and contentment grew.

I existed in that moment. Sometimes I tuned off my shuffle to be serenaded by my breath. To hear my feet rhythmically bounce from the pavement…

One Upon a time, I loved to run.

Then I got a burning feeling on the outside of my left knee. It came out of nowhere, without warning. I limped home and iced it. I rested it for a week, and felt a twinge of jealousy whenever I watched someone ran past my driveway.

I tried to run after waiting a week. I smiled as I settled into my stride. At mile one (practically on the dot) the burning came back. I turned around and limped home. There were tears of frusteration, but the jealousy faded over time.

Now it’s 1.5 years later.

I feel breathless, weak and slow, but there are these moments- these flashes of what it used to be before I felt the burn beside my left knee.

I ran a 10km last month with Stacey. I am doing another this Sunday, and another next month.

I’m hoping that my “Once Upon a time” will be my “Happily Ever After.”