I don’t
like to run. Wait…let me rephrase that; I hate
to run. I don’t do it. Never have. Sure, I’ve had to run when I played flag
football and soccer (during my two-year stint at this Christian school), I had
to run during the police academy, and I’ve done many sprinting drills with my
rifle and equipment for sniper training, but I’ve avoided running most of my
life like one would avoid swimming in brain-eating-amoeba-infested water.
You see,
I’ve been training to fight nearly my entire life and I’ve always participated
in fight-specific training. I’d rather spar ten rounds (each round involves 3
minutes of fighting with a short rest period—usually 30 seconds) than run for
ten minutes. For me and my specific needs, running is a waste of time. I know
it’s a great form of exercise and many people love to do it, but it’s not my
thing.
When people
ask me if I run or if I would like to go running, I usually answer one of two
ways:
1. Sure,
I’ll run…after him if he’s got a warrant.
2. I
don’t need to practice running away…I plan to stand and fight.
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| 2nd Pro Fight - I'm the bald guy in the red boxing trunks |
I
provided the latter answer to my wife, Amanda, not long after we first met and
were discussing her love for running. She told me how she’d already run a half
marathon and wanted to run a full before she kicked the bucket. She also told
me she was registered for another half marathon that was only weeks away. When
I asked her the distance on a half marathon, she told me it was 13.1 miles.
The farthest I'd ever run was about five miles, and 13.1 miles seemed an impossible task for someone like myself who hated to run. So, in
my mind, I immediately ran through all the reasons why I couldn’t do the half
marathon with Amanda—all the important things I just knew I had to do that day,
like clip my fingernails or fold my socks.
As we
continued talking, Amanda said she planned to walk it, because she hadn’t
trained for it and she didn’t want to hurt herself. Being the gentleman I am—and
realizing instantly I could walk that distance on any given day even through
the mountains—I offered to walk it with her. She was elated. I couldn’t believe
something as simple as walking beside her for a few hours would make her that
happy, but there she was—giddy with excitement that I’d agreed to do something
I hated just for her.
On
“race” day, Amanda bounced out of bed way too early and dragged me out from
under the sheets. We showed up at the Heart and Soles event in Houma, LA with
our walking shoes strapped firmly in place and gathered at the starting line
with the other folks who had nothing better to do that day. Someone finally
popped a cap in the air and everyone started running like they were the ones
being shot at. As for Amanda and me, we walked…for about a hundred yards. She
turned to me with beautiful brown eyes that sparkled and she was bouncing up and
down, nearly jumping out of her skin. “I’m so excited! I want to run,” she said
(paraphrasing).
I was
like, “Sure, let’s run.” I knew she hadn’t trained for it, so I figured, “How
far could she go?”
13.1
miles and 2:57 later, Amanda and I crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, having
jogged our first half marathon together and my first ever. I can’t remember
ever laughing that much in my life. The images of Amanda doubled over trying to
run while she laughed hysterically (I’m just a funny guy, I guess) will forever
be one of the fondest memories of our first months together. At 42, I did
something I never—and I mean NEVER EVER—had the urge to do, but it was very
cool and it’s something I would never have experienced had it not been for
Amanda.
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| Amanda and me at Houma Heart & Soles 2013 |
Now, I must
admit to enjoying a conversation I had with one of my friends after the event.
He told me he hadn’t known I was into running and he described all the weeks of
training he and his wife had undergone in preparation for that day (it sounded
boring and time-consuming!). He then asked what I’d done to train for the half
marathon and asked if I’d done any other races. Lying to make others feel
better is not in my DNA, so I shrugged and said, “I’ve been eating chocolate
brownies, drinking milk and watching TV.” (Of course, they weren’t just any old
brownies—they were from Duet’s Bakery in Galliano, LA and they’re the best!)
This
event definitely brought Amanda and me closer together and I proposed to her
about six weeks later. As you can imagine, my jaw landed solidly on the floor
in front of my boots when I applied for our marriage license and saw the license
number—it was identical to the bib number from my very first racing event with
Amanda. At that moment, I knew without a doubt I’d made the right decision.
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| My half marathon bib and our marriage license |
Now, I’d
love to be able to sit here and write that the half marathon changed my view of
the sport and ignited within me a passion for running, but that would be a lie.
I still hate to run, but I love Amanda more than I hate running and I happily
attend race after race with her. If the event is more than ten minutes from the
house, we leave the day before and make a romantic night-away out of it.
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| Flying over the finish line at the 2015 Rock and Roll Series 10K in New Orleans |
Some of
the racing events we’ve done since then include the 2014 Houma Heart and Soles
5K, a Moonjoggers virtual 5K (M’s Run: Klingons Against Cancer) , the Rock and
Roll Series 10K and the Crescent City Classic. Although running is not my
flavor, these events provide a great opportunity for Amanda and me to spend
some quality time together and just “get away”, while also contributing to good
causes. We’re not trying to set records—unless there’s a record for last place—but
I think these events are a great way for couples,
and even families, to visit with one another, enjoy the views, and get the old
heart pumping.
 |
| Striking a pose at the 2015 Rock and Roll Series 10K in New Orleans |
|
Take it
easy one and all and thanks for reading!
UPDATE:
Holy crap!!! Amanda just registered us for the 2016 Rock and Roll Marathon!
BJ Bourg
