For the last two years or so, I have considered myself a climber. In fact, if you talked to me a few months ago, I would have told you that running is like death. However, with this pandemic closing down climbing gyms, outdoor crags, hiking trails and all the other things I used to do for fun, I decided I needed a new hobby to maintain fitness. I begrudgingly laced up my shoes, opened the front door, and took the first step I never thought I would.
I… became a runner.
As I began my first run, mile after mile ticked on. Mile one flowed by, then mile two and mile three. Then I realized that thus far, I’d been almost entirely running downhill. Fast approaching was a quarter-mile hill that would cover almost all the verticle gain that the first three miles had taken up. As I approached the hill, I stared it down and it stared me back. It was time to go to war. Step by small step, I made my way up the epic beast of a hill. I quickly lost steam after the first hundred feet, but I refused to let the hill win this battle.
I shortened my stride and settled into a slower pace, as my pace got slower, my breath quickened. Breathing faster than the pace of my feet, I felt my lungs gasping for air. Still, I was determined to keep running. As I continued upward, I saw the crest of the hill approaching. I clung on with every last ounce of energy and summitted that day’s Everest.
From there I cruised back to my house and opened the door. I sprawled out on the floor, breathing heavily. The battle was won. The war was over. Now, I am a runner.
After this experience, I continued to run, something I never thought I would do. Now, every run gets a little easier. I’ve been able to use this new hobby to find adventure in everyday quarantine life and I hope you can do the same!
-Natalia Perry