Last night my husband and I were watching a movie and got onto a discussion about all things fitness related. At some point he mentioned he wanted to try and start running again. It's been 2 years and 3 foot surgeries since he last ran. I asked if he would run with me in the morning. My plan was 7 miles so I figured I'd just run with him and then head back out to make it 7. The idea of running with him had me so excited!
Shoes - out of all the shoes out there, hes in Vibram Five Fingers. He had a pair waaay back in the day (back before it was cool!) and has always favored minimalism like me. He needs to mid strike, can't heel strike and needs to try and avoid toe striking. This shoe would promote mid or toe striking. But what it really came down to was all the other shoes he tried on had bulky stitching or straps that ran across the side of his feet and would cut into where his surgery scar is. He liked these because they are comfortable for him and not restrictive.
Honestly I had low expectations for him. Because he can hardly walk or stand for long periods of time without his feet, knees, or back hurting, I figured maybe he'd be able to go half a mile. Whatever he was capable of doing, I supported it. So we took everything at his pace. I checked in with him often to see how everything was feeling, make sure he wasn't in pain and such. After awhile I could see it was becoming challenging for him on a cardiovascular level. This is all too common with people who haven't run in a long time. But he kept going. At the one mile mark he stopped for a moment and then we turned around. Towards the end of the run he was complaining about his hip and knee. I kept asking if we needed to walk. Nope, kept pushing until the very end. He ran 2 miles! Then he promptly collapsed on the side of the trail to catch his breath and rest for a few minutes. I remember that feeling all too well. Not having that high level of cardiovascular fitness makes it really tough.
I'm so proud of him for running 2 miles! It wasn't fast and it wasn't easy, but he never quit. He surpassed all my expectations. Later I found out he chose 2 miles for a reason, it's the distance the Army runs for their PT tests. It means alot to him because running kind of haunted him during most of his time in the military.
I snapped this picture of him. He hates having his picture taken and never smiles, but he's been in a great mood ever since the run. I'm so happy he did this and we hope to make this a Saturday thing. Recovery might be tough with all his various injuries, but I hope he gets stronger so he can keep doing it. It makes me feel awesome inside to be part of it.
Also - OREOS.
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