For a long time, I’ve centered a part of my identity on being a runner.
But over the years, some knee pain and then back issues have all but sidelined me. I have tried to replace running with hours on the Peloton, walking, some rowing…but nothing gives me the rush that running did.
My body is talking to me, though. It’s telling me to make peace with the few extra pounds I had been able to keep off during marathon training. It’s telling me to honor rest and accept that my body is trying to gracefully enter middle age. And that’s ok.
I mix in some light running with my long walks. And I am ok with that.
Running taught me a lot about life…how to be persistent, endure, work through pain, commit to a long training schedule. So even though running isn’t a part of my everyday life now, those lessons endure.