Two Small Steps

I was never much of a runner. In my youth my cardio of choice was swimming. I could swim, literally, for kilometres and not be tired. When I was training to be a lifeguard, I’d get into the pool 30 minutes early and swim an easy 40 or 50 lengths. At 25 meters a length, 40 was already a kilometre, so anything extra was just showing off.

But ask me to run a few hundred meters and I’d be wrecked. 

And that was back when I was fit. When I started boxing earlier this year, I most certainly wasn’t fit. So, after a warm up routine of high knees, jumping jacks, fast feet and more, asking me to run around the block was torture. The first night we had to do that, I could hardly breath when I got back in the door, and I hadn’t even managed to stay running the whole time. I could barely swallow some water between the gulps of air my body was taking in and felt genuinely nauseous. 

Skip forward a few weeks and I’m really enjoying the circuit classes, making big improvements over time. The post-warm up run isn’t every class, but when we do it, I’m getting consistant with my performance, heading out the door toward the front of the pack and ending toward the middle. This makes me very happy. 

Then one evening there’s only eight in the class. We do our warm up and Sean tells us to run around the block while he sets up the circuit. I’m second out the door, but take the lead just after the first corner. I try to keep a steady pace as I head around the back of the gym. As I round the last corner, I realize I’m still in the lead. I have no idea how close the rest are, and I’m not willing to glance back to find out. My heart is pumping, my legs are straining, but the front door is in sight. With one final burst I break for the end and round the corner into the gym. 

Sean turns and spots me, shouts “Denis! You did it!” and gives me a huge high-5. It feels fucking great! 

The following week we have the biggest class attendance up to that point. 23 members present from the start. Sean orders a run and we all file out. I’m in the top five out the door, and my performance the previous week is fresh in my mind. Rounding the second corner that leads to the back of the gym, I start to speed up and one by one, take the lead. On the third corner I can hear the steady rhythm of another set of feet behind me. As we round the last corner and start for the door to the gym, I can hear breathing just over my left shoulder. I push forward, focusing solely on the door but hearing the heavy breathing of someone right on my heels. 

I burst in the door and Sean is delighted to see me again, congratulating me on my continued improvements. I stop and turn to the guy behind me. I’m breathing just a bit deeper than resting breaths.

“Thanks for the push. I could hear you behind me and it made me keep going.”

Between gulping breaths he responds “I was just trying to stay close to you and you kept on going faster.”

Related:
One Small Step