No Shame in Walking

I remember the day when I ran 2 miles for the first time without taking a break to walk. It was quite an accomplishment for me. I can't remember how much training it took for me to get there but I was proud of myself.

Since then, whenever I increased the length of my runs it was always a challenge. Sometimes I would have to walk to finish. Other times I would complete it nonstop.

Until recently I was always ashamed when I had to walk. It drove me nuts when I couldn't run all the way through. I felt like I had failed.

Yesterday I ran 20 miles for the first time. For me that is a long run. I'm not ashamed to say I had to walk some of that distance. I had to walk quite a bit the last 2 miles.

When we increase the distance of our runs, whether it is 2, 5, 7, 10, or 20 miles, we are pushing our bodies past the normal limits and our body doesn't like it. We are apprehensive before we start, hoping we can make it. We are exhilarated when we finish because we have reached a new goal and did something a short time ago we may have thought was impossible. Reaching those new distances is a huge challenge and something to be proud of.

Yesterday when I was running, sometimes walking, I knew I wasn't doing this for anyone else, only myself. So it didn't matter what others thought, even when they passed me while I was walking and drinking some water. I was running to prove to myself that I could do it. When I finished 20 miles I was tired, sweaty, and my feet hurt, but I finished and I was proud of myself.

This isn't about not pushing yourself. Just by going out and running and trying to reach new goals you are already pushing yourself. I'm just saying, sometimes we need to walk. Don't give up. Don't be too hard on yourself. There is no shame in walking. I know there will come a day when I can run 20 miles without walking. Someday you will also reach that "impossible" distance nonstop. Just keep running.