myerstownherald.com

By SARA HAUFF DORAN
A 5K run for me is relaxing — almost as good as a massage, a dip in the hot tub or a good night’s sleep.
I associate my running with my track and field days in high school where I excelled. It took four years for me to progress in sprinting, but it was worth every exhausting day of practice.
The first day I tried out for track and field as a freshman, I remember clearly that I was one of, if not the last runner to finish four laps around the school (not sure the distance exactly, but it was further than I had run to date). I was so out of breath and quite embarrassed.
But I didn’t let my ego hold me back and luckily I attended a small school where everyone made the team if they tried out. It turned out to be my favorite sport and it gave me much pride to know that I stuck with a sport that didn’t come easy to me.
Flash forward 19 years and I’m so glad that it’s a sport that I can keep doing. I don’t run as regularly as I would like, but when I do, I am able to complete a 5K (3.1 miles) with more ease than I was able to do in my early days running.
But I often hear that I am wearing out my joints by running and that I won’t be able to continue in my older years. So far so good on that front — I have not had a major injury from running (just sprained ankles and shin splints).
But is it inevitable that I get injured running or perhaps worse yet, that I am doing long-term damage to my joints by running? The jury is still out on that one, but it leads me to my next point. Why not walk, instead of run for exercise? Well, here are my reasons I prefer running to walking:
It’s a more efficient form of exercise (in other words, I burn more calories in a shorter amount of time).
I find it more challenging than walking. I often get too bored walking and can’t get “in the zone” like when I’m running. I do some of my best thinking on a run.
Plus I still have that competitive spirit in me that keeps me coming back to running. I will probably never sprint like I used to in my teens, but I can set other goals like longer distances.
All in all, running is something I would like to continue to do as long as my body will cooperate. As I get older, I may have to change it up, such as running on softer surfaces that are easier on the joints, but the older runners I often see around my neighborhood inspire me. They don’t let their age get in the way of a good run. I hope that is me in 20 years.