Unfit

23-03-2010

Good lord I have lost any and all running skills or stamina that I had years ago.

Many moons ago, well nigh on ten if not more, I had to go to a cardiologist because the trainer in the running club was concerned about how my heart rate was not slowing down after a run. A few pokes and prods later, some running on a treadmill with a machine hooked up to me and one conversation with a doctor that sounded like Apu from The Simpsons and I was told that I shouldn't be doing running like that anymore.

That was some of a blow to me, I will admit. I lack the skills to play football (not to mention that the game bores me to tears) and there wasn't a whole lot of other sports that I could compete in and be good at.

Running was my thing. I would do cross country runs as part of the school team and was selected for the hundred metres, four hundred metres and on one rare occasion had to run two positions on a relay team.

I was fast as well.

So being told that the strain it was putting on my heart was causing the problem of it not slowing down was nothing short of soul destroying.

The running stopped. I stopped training, didn't compete and just took it on the chin as they say.

Recently, as part of a work funded scheme, I had a medical that checked a whole bunch of things. While there I asked the doctor about maybe taking up running again, since I don't do any exercise at all really. After some poking, some prodding, some X-rays and a conversation with a blond doctor that sounded nothing like Apu the results where in.

I was allowed go back to running, but in no way go back to my old style of training. Marathons were out. Cross country was out. I had to do nothing more than a brisk jog, on soft ground, for no more than an hour at a time.

Well it was better than nothing, so I took it.

I started running again last night and it clearly shows in my body that I have been neglecting it badly. My lungs are for shit, five minutes in and they were burning as if I had been at it for an hour. After half an hour of running, which consisted of a few walking breaks while I let my lungs recover, I was fit for nothing but death. Even the damn heart said enough was enough at one point.

But it felt good to be running again, good to be moving at a speed that I had long since thought would be forever denied to me.

I think I was half expecting the body to just remember and be as good at running as it once had been, but obviously that isn't the case. So I have to start from basics again, slowly build up the levels so I don't feel like puking my ring up after so short a run.

Sure that's part of the fun, right?

Blue_jester

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