thenextmile

Each year, thousands of Americans will set out in an attempt to become a runner. Each of these people have different reasons. Some want to lose weight. Some are looking to improve their health. Some are in it in hopes of finding a way to relieve stress or cope with other emotions. Some people don’t have a reason. But despite the reason, these people are making their first strides at becoming a runner. Yesterday, my husband was one of them.

If you took one look at my husband, you’d know he wasn’t a runner. You’d probably know he wasn’t even an athlete. After losing about 50 pounds in the past few years, he’s tall and lanky. He is also lucky that he’s in as good as shape as he is despite the fact he has worked out exactly 5 times in the last 6 months. But yesterday, after years of supporting me at the finish line, he became a runner. He ran his first race ever – a 5k.

So maybe he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, the race was something I signed him up for (after his approval of course). He did plan to train. But like many others, training went to the wayside due to a busy life – work, family, social obligations. But despite his lack of training, he lined up yesterday morning with hundreds of other new runners. And those new runners mixed with veteran runners, and thus his new life as a runner was underway.

I could have gone ahead and tried to win my age division as I had originally planned. After all, I am one of those veteran runners that all too often, gives an annoyed look to all the newbies crowding the starting line. But knowing that I had the chance to relive my first race through the eyes of my husband, I knew I needed to stick with him.

As the gun went off, we spent the first half mile dodging kids, parents with strollers, walkers who ignored the instructions to start at the back of the pack. We pushed forward, me never knowing if we were going to be taking a walk break at any moment. I let him set the pace and run his own race.

He struggled. We walked once. But we finished. Together. And after no training and 28 minutes of pure struggle, he crossed that finish line and smiled. He was a runner. And I was there to experience his transformation and the beginning of a new chapter in his life. That moment was bigger for me, than any award could have been.

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