I was a javelin thrower on the high school track team until our school moved to a league where they didn’t have that event. My older brother was on the track team, too, so I had to stay on the team just to get my ride home. That’s when I started running.
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I’ve run for exercise off and on all through my life since then.
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Maybe two years ago, a little after I turned 50, I joined a health club. I think it was a fear of getting old; I wanted to try to stave that off as long as possible.
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Lately, I’ve been running six days a week, mostly on the treadmill. I run probably 30 miles a week.
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On Saturdays, I meet up with another cell biologist, and we’ll run about 10 miles. Then we sit around, drink coffee and shoot the breeze afterwards.
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Sometimes we talk science when we’re running. Sometimes, I just want to forget about everything.
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I did my first half-marathon in February in Austin. There was so much going on—bands at every corner, tons of enthusiastic people. It was the first time I’d ever participated in a huge race like that. It was great.
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I’ve run two more since then. The most recent one was the Oklahoma City Memorial Half-Marathon. I ran a personal best—1:41:20—and came in fourth in my age division. I was pleasantly surprised.
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There’s probably a marathon in my future. But as a scientist I work pretty long hours, so the idea of running practice 20-milers is a little daunting.
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Exercise increases efficiency in the other parts of my life. It clears my mind and helps me think better.
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I sleep better, too.
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This spring, my lab manager ran a half-marathon along with his dad. We’ve sort of egged each other on.
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I don’t use an iPod. Once in a while, I’ll take a radio and listen to NPR.
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When you meet another person who’s a runner, you immediately have a connection. You can talk about training experiences, racing experiences, what motivates you, what funny experiences you’ve had. I really like being able to say, Yes, I’m a runner.
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Even if my sons don’t run with me, I want them to see that I value exercising and keeping active. I don’t care what they do in terms of physical activity, so long as they stay physically fit.
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Retired running shoes are usually what I wear to work. I like the colorful ones. Just not fluorescent orange and yellow together.
