Back in 2011 I embarked on learning to run using a Couch to 5K program. Did my first 5K – attempted to run the whole thing but ended up walking at times…more and more as it went on.

Then I discovered run/walk and things began to change. I was never fast, but I completed 5 full marathons and more than 10 (I can’t remember exactly how many) half marathons using run/walk. I generally enjoyed it, but I never really had that lightning bolt moment so many people talk about when they cross that first Half Marathon and/or Full Marathon Finish Line. And then my final full was done as part of the 2015 Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – the only place where you actually say “I’m ONLY doing the Goofy” – which is a half and a full on back to back days. Yep. 39.3 miles. And you say “ONLY” because they also have the Dopey Challenge which is a 5K, 10K, Half and Full on subsequent days. And honestly that burned me out. My final half was the Ottawa Half in May 2015.

I got into tae kwon do – something I never saw myself doing – and enjoyed it. Or at least enjoyed forms. I got up to a Double Black Stripe – one belt lower than Black Belt. I could have tested for my Black Belt, but my dojang was very spar-heavy for the test, and I did not enjoy sparring one little bit. I kept going, and if I was lucky I’d get paired with someone who competed on the international level and would often stop and say “OK, what can you do here?” but it just wasn’t me.

Then, thanks to hearing about it from friends, I found Orange Theory Fitness and really got into that. I loved the variety of the workouts – how none of them were the same. I learned how to row. I lifted heavier than I ever thought I would.

And then COVID happened and gyms closed down. At first I was doing walking, but gradually started to do run/walk again. It was not horrible. And I was at least able to keep up some exercise. Once the gyms opened back up, I went back to OTF with the 8-times per month plan and my intention was to supplement that with run/walk. It was all great until I had a couple of falls. Both ended with bloodied knees and palms – the second I even got some road rash on my jaw. I knew I was being risky bracing with my hands, but I also knew that if I didn’t, I was going to really mess up my face – even with the bracing I couldn’t keep my face totally uninjured. I ended up with my wrist hurting pretty badly and an MRI showed a badly bruised – but thankfully not broken – scaphoid bone and was in a brace for a few weeks.

So no more running.

I went back to OTF on the unlimited plan, but a lot of the motivation I’d felt was gone. Part of it was a change of some coaches. But a lot of it was they were gradually changing the workouts and making around half into classes where you chose strength OR cardio. And many of those were at the times I could go. To me, making you choose defeated the whole unique point of the workout. I dropped that membership and changed to a gym with classes – and I did a couple, but… It just never clicked.

When I was doing run/walk, one of my running heroes was always Kara Goucher. Even moreso after her book – “The Longest Race” – came out and I devoured it. I actually got to meet her before the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, TN in 2013.

Kara has had to retire from professional running due to dystonia, but she has continued to run on her own. Recently, her son Colt has gotten into running and set a PR that Kara set a goal to beat – and she did it at the 5K in Boston. Following her journey and watching her do that through her struggles with dystonia made me feel like I can do it – I’m just a big old klutz after all. I commented as much on her instagram picture following her 5K where she beat Colt’s PR – and she replied and was so encouraging.

This morning, I went out and did a run/walk at a 1 minute run/3 minute walk interval times 6 and felt great! No falling! I know I’ll never be super fast – and I may fall again at times – but I got out there and I’ve got a plan to follow.

It’s baby steps, but I did it!