It takes a lot of energy to manage the symptoms of this inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), so I love that running allows me to take some of the energy away from my diagnosis and get it back. I became addicted to sports after joining my high school track and field club, and during my college years I ran by myself as a hobby to relieve stress. I completed my first half marathon when I was a senior in college. Despite some rookie mistakes (zero sports nutrition strategy, liking to run in his cotton T-shirt, etc.), my mindset was perfectly fine. went. I was and am very grateful that I was able to decide when and where I wanted to go. , how far and at what speed.
Since then, I have completed a sprint triathlon, two marathons, and numerous half marathons of 25K, 10K, and 5K on the mountain trails near where I live in Juneau. I also did a cross-country bike trip with a friend in 2013, right after he graduated from college, on his own (meaning there was no crew around to help with supplies and necessities). It was both terrifying and amazing. After riding 2,000 miles from Baton Rouge to California on an ill-fitting bike with little training, I learned that you can keep going even when you think you can’t. It’s a lesson that has served me many times as a runner.
However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. After having a child in the middle of a pandemic, I quickly experienced a flare-up of my Crohn’s disease. I think this was triggered by the stress of lack of sleep on top of managing everything else: work, marriage, running, etc. starter. In the past few years, I’ve had gallbladder surgery, three COVID-19 infections, a mono infection, and another upper respiratory tract infection. For years, just when I was able to run consistently again, it felt like some new wall was standing in my way. I was depressed until I changed my mindset. Once I let go of the goal-oriented approach, focused on having fun, and allowed myself to walk and slow down, I started to enjoy running again. I used to focus on what kind of race I was training for, but now I’m happy just running.
However, that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on my running goals. Eventually he plans to run a 50K or 50-mile trail race, but he’s in no rush to put an event on his calendar. Right now, I’m taking care of my health and making the most of each day.
