Life At Slow-Mo

I have been in and out of diet programs since 2010. In 2015, I was able to reach a considerable loss, and I was sure that I would be able to keep my hard-earned weight. That was me being too optimistic.

In 2017, I went on trips to Japan and Europe. I let myself loose on udon, ramen, rice, tempura, pastries, sausages, ice cream, cakes, croissants, cheese, sandwhiches. By December 2017, I was practically back on my weight in 2010. Promising myself that it would be my last time, again, in January 2018 I went on another weight loss program.

The dietician who handled my case set me on a program that included a diet, hunger suppressing medicines, fat burning shots, and exercise.

“What kind of exercise, doc?”

“Anything that you can keep up doing for at least 150 minutes per week,” she explained. “I would suggest running. But not until you are under 80 kilograms. Otherwise your knees will suffer. Why don’t you start with walking?”

I started walking. I walked home from work, and I walked on Saturday mornings. After a while, walking started to feel too slow for me. On Saturday mornings I ran into runners during my walks, and I could not help feeling annoyed whenever they ran past me.

As soon as my weight permitted, I began to take running. I wasn’t expecting much. Just some slow plodding for about a kilometer or so was all I hoped to achieve. Then something unbelievable happened.

I discovered that I was able to maintain a consistent run for farther distances. Soon I was routinely running 3 kilometers. Curious about how far I could run, I tried to run for 5 kilometers. And I did! From then on, 5 kilometers was a minimum distance. I signed up for a 5K charity run, and I finished it with no problem. I was exhausted afterwards, but I found the experience to be a motivation to run farther and farther.

So far, my longest distance is a Half Marathon or 21.1 kilometers, which I achieved a little over a year after I started running. Due to my heart condition, I decided that this is the longest that I will run, at least for now. Still, this was already beyond my wildest dream.

I learned invaluable lessons from running long distances.

1. You can do more than you thought you could

Physical Education was my least favorite subject in school. Once when I was in third grade, my PE teacher had the class run laps. I was already tired after the first lap, and I thought it was impossible to finish the rest. By about the third lap, I pretended to faint mid run. Since then, I hated running.

Imagine my surprise when I ran for 5 kilometers straight without fainting. Then 10 kilometers. Then 12. 15. And finally 21!

Don’t give up on yourself just yet. Give it a try, and you might surprise yourself with your capability.

2. You can accomplish anything if you learn from others

I had no special preparation for running 5 and 10 K races. I just added more distance during my routine runs until I ran the desired distance. The Half Marathon was entirely different. I sought help from a friend who was already running dozens of Half Marathons. He gave me a set of practice program that I should follow. I also took care of myself better by eating well, and getting more rest to allow my body to recover from my practices. That is how I was able to complete my 2 half marathons. It was a feat I would have never thought possible.

3. Accepting limits is not something to be ashamed of

During my half marathon training, my friend gently told me that I wasn’t performing as well as most people he had helped. “You should be able to run at faster pace by now. But you seem to have difficulties getting there. Try consulting with a sports health specialist. Just to make sure that you have no physical problem,” he said.

I consulted a sports doctor, who referred me to a heart specialist. After doing some tests, she sat me down for a serious talk. “Your ECG result indicates that you have thickened walls in your heart.* This condition caused your heart to work extra hard when you are doing physical exertion. This is hereditary, and it has nothing to do with your lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that you cannot run long distances. But you should be more careful.”

This answers a lot of questions that I had been having up to that moment. Why I could not run as fast as other kids when I was small? Why I got tired easily when doing sports? Why does it take me my maximum effort just to run at a pace that is easy for others? Why my heart rate shot up faster than that of others? I had been blaming my sedentary lifestyle this whole time, when actually that is just the way I am.

I am now at peace knowing that it is not my fault. Maybe I will never in my life run a 42 km full marathon. Even running a half marathon is now a questionable enterprise. But I can still have fun running 5K and 10K races.

Right now I am training for my third half marathon. But this time, I train not to push my body, but to accept it, and to love it just the way it is. I will run as much as I can, as far as I can, but without blaming myself for any lack in my running .

*) Also known medically as Hypertrophy Cardiomyopathy