Why did I get into running? Great question, thanks for asking! I've always been an athlete going back many years, but when I started working full-time I started sitting more and becoming less and less active. Sure, I played basketball once in a while, but I had no consistent workout routine, no goals to work towards, and no motivation to get started.
In 2005, I first started having back pain. It wasn't too bad at first, but over the months, it became worse and worse and I became even less and less active, thinking rest was the best medicine. In the Summer of 2006, our daughter, Ella, was born and my back was awful. I started having pain down my right leg, and I couldn't even stand up straight. I was sleeping on the floor once in a while, and I struggled to even pick up Ella. I went to a neurosurgeon who told me that I had a herniated disc in my back and I would be dealing with this the rest of my life. I turned pale and came very close to passing out in the doctor's office. Here I am, a new dad, in my 20's, and the thought of living like this was incredibly daunting and not something I was going to accept.
I went to a different neurosurgeon and I thought I would be going under the knife, but thankfully, this doctor would not do that. He did not want to operate, but instead pushed me to try anything and everything outside of surgery. I went to chiropractors, I tried steroid injections (which went bad one time and I had to basically crawl to the ER from my office across the street), I tried physical therapy - but nothing worked. Until I read from a lot of research online that the more active people with back issues tend to be, the better their back feels. It didn't make sense to me, but I figured I would try. I started walking, then I started very short jogs, then I went longer and longer and I added swimming into my routine and my back started feeling better and better, and I just could not believe what was happening.
The more active I was, the better my back felt. This is more than 15 years ago, and I haven't looked back! Running has literally saved my health and my lifestyle. In those 15 years I have had two or three incidents where my back has flared up but that has been it! (knocking on wood) I would not be where I am today without this change in lifestyle. I feel better, inside and out, and am so thankful for my health. I will not take it for granted and I will continue to run as long as I can!
Today's run - 8 miles, 1:11:33 (8:56/mile)
Next run - Saturday, 16 miles
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