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Running For the Health of It: Reflections From Those That Run
Running For the Health of It: Reflections From Those That Run
Running For the Health of It: Reflections From Those That Run
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Running For the Health of It: Reflections From Those That Run

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You can become a runner. It doesn't have to be done for medals, fame, or glory. You can simply start running for the health of it.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherBookBaby
Release dateMar 29, 2014
ISBN9781483523378
Running For the Health of It: Reflections From Those That Run

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    Running For the Health of It - Chad Rickner, M.S.

    book.

    Running For The Health of It

    I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone say that I don’t look like a runner. My polite reaction is, I know. Crazy, huh? What I really want to say is, What is that supposed to mean, you jerk? I can understand though. I’m 6’4" (193 cm) and weigh 200 lbs. (90 kg), give or take a pound (or kilogram). However, regardless of whether or not someone looks like a runner, I think everyone can be. Think back to your childhood. Do you remember any kids that didn’t run? Do you currently know any kids that don’t run around when given the opportunity? Everyone used to run, but at some point, decided that they wouldn’t do it anymore. We need to kill the stereotypes and dismiss the misconceptions that currently exist about what runners should look like. Of course we aren’t all meant to be, nor are we capable of being, elite runners. If I told someone that I was an Olympic marathon runner, I could accept the, you don’t look like a runner, line.

    This isn’t a training manual, a book about superstar athletes, or what you need to do in order to conquer the running world. This isn’t a book that is going to teach you to run faster, run farther, or reach a higher level of training. This is a book for the ordinary person that happens to run. It’s for anyone that is interested in running, but isn’t necessarily interested in competition or stereotypes. This book shows how others and myself went from sedentary to active, and how I am a better person because of it.

    Those that do take up running do it for a variety of reasons. Some people (many actually) run because they feel like they need to lose weight. This can be a, for the health of it type of running, or it could simply be vanity. Others run because their doctor told them to begin an exercise program. There are even people that run because they want a hard body, and therefore use it as the cardiovascular portion of their training. I would venture to say that there are people in this world that begin running in order to add another rack of clothing to their wardrobe, or to have an excuse to buy the latest gear. Heck, when I was in middle school my cousin and I began working out because we idolized Rocky Balboa (cue Rocky theme song).

    I could come up with other examples of why people run, but we all have our own reasons, and to be honest, I think that they are all valid. In my opinion, no matter the reason, choosing to run (or even walk briskly) is a decision to improve your life. It is a choice that can turn someone’s life around and provide him or her with a reason to get out of bed that day. The research that has been done on the benefits of running, or more generally cardiovascular training (getting the heart rate up), is irrefutable in its conclusion that running is good for you. Of course there are always special populations in which running may be contraindicated. However, for the general population the anatomical and physiological benefits far outweigh any excuses not to run or walk briskly on a regular basis.

    As you will see in the stories in part two of this book, we all have our own reasons to take off down the road or trail. We all have our ambitions, goals, and motivations. We all have a desire to push our bodies, to attain a better level of fitness, to improve our physical and mental capacities, yet we are all different. Regardless of why people choose to run, and regardless of ability level, I want everyone to see that there’s no right or wrong. You don’t have to win a medal, finish a race, run when it’s snowing outside, or decide to go a particular distance. The only thing a person has to do is take the first step toward the door. Find what motivates you. I can tell you right now that if I would have started running in order to win medals, I would have given up by now! Luckily, that isn’t my motivation. It’s much more personal than that.

    Running is about pushing my body to new limits, challenging my mind while reaching for distances I previously couldn’t fathom, and some sort of spiritual renewal that is hard to explain, but has nothing to do with religion or god. It’s about running for the health of it.

    Sports and Motivation

    I can’t remember ever not playing basketball. I played other sports as well, but I was always a basketball player. Having a father that was a two-time college All-American basketball player set the bar pretty high, and established basketball as the only valid sport in our family. Don’t get me wrong, Dad was all for being physically active and playing other sports, but when you boiled it all down, basketball rose to the top. I might also add that he was one ankle sprain away from the NBA. He was already getting letters from teams like the L.A. Lakers during his junior year in college, but for some reason, after spraining his ankle later that same year, he never received another letter. You have to admit that surgery and rehab back in those days wasn’t as refined and successful as it is now.

    Being a basketball player meant that I ran a lot, but in short bursts and with quick direction change. It was high intensity, short duration running. It was also painful when done as a form of conditioning (or punishment). I needed some sort of motivation besides Coach Jobe yelling, go, in order to really want to do it. I have known a number of players over the years that didn’t need any external motivation. They seemed to just have it with them at all times. Not me. I needed the cheer of the crowd, a cute girl watching; you know, meaningful (external) motivation.

    I was always ready for the big game or tournament because that meant that there would be fans and bright lights, an opposing team, and the smell of popcorn in the air. My hometown, Kingfisher, Oklahoma, was a small country town with not much to do on a Friday or Saturday night, so half the town came to watch us play. We were actually a really good team, so I would like to think that people would have come no matter what was going on, but the fact is, there wasn’t much choice. The problem was, my motivation walked back out through the front door with all of the fans once the game was over.

    Looking back on my high school basketball career, I often wonder what it was about me that was so different than the more successful athletes at that level. My brother, Kyle, for example, was the most motivated, hardest working player on the team. He was the first one to the gym and the last one to leave. He shot more baskets than anyone else and would ask for correction when he felt he was off the mark. He practiced like he played and seemed to just want to get better. He wasn’t arrogant or hungry for praise, and he would play as hard in front of 10 people as he would play in front of 1,000. Why wasn’t I like that? Kyle and I are three years apart and from the same parents, yet we couldn’t be more different. I was the last one to the gym and the first one to leave and couldn’t care less about taking extra shots. I was a good player but could have been so much better.

    Bad Habits

    By the time I was a senior in high school, I was going to parties and drinking just about every weekend, sometimes during the week, and my diet consisted of fast food, frozen pizza, and sodas. The way I treated my body would later take its toll, but at that point in life, I was young, strong, and had no clue about the effects of nutrition on physical performance. Even if I had understood, I wouldn’t have cared. Remember, I relied on external sources for all of my motivation. The extent of my nutritional knowledge was that I needed to eat something from the major food groups. Well, by my senior year, I had created my own food pyramid in order to keep it simple – food and beer.

    I took my first drink at 13, and around 15 I began to make a habit of it. After high school, I continued to drink every weekend, and at least once during the week. On top of that, I would often smoke at parties and every once in a while, a friend and I would hide away somewhere after school and have a smoke.

    I did go on to college, however, my college years were tumultuous, to put it mildly. I was rushed into a fraternity at Oklahoma State University, so my college career started off with a bang! I arrived at OSU a week before school started, and don’t recall a ton of what happened until after I dropped out three weeks later. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I only knew where two of my classes were.

    I then enrolled in a private, Christian university in order to be closer to my brother, and in hopes of straightening up. I had grown up in a conservative, religious home, and I thought that turning to those roots might help me see the light. Those hopes didn’t last long. I was definitely close to my brother, but throughout my career there I would drop out and later re-enroll, get suspended for fighting twice, get suspended for drinking, be forced into seeing the school counselor and be accused of theft, vandalism, and smoking marijuana on campus. I don’t know if my alma mater helped me straighten up, but it sure helped me to become better at not getting caught. The suspensions and accusations were simply representative of those times I let my guard down.

    Without going into the gory details, my drinking would continue for about the next 15 years, escalating to the point of drinking a 12-pack every day, and a bit more on weekends. I spare the details because I’m simply trying to make a point that my lifestyle was not one of healthy living. I didn’t have any aspirations past high school, and to be honest, did think I would even go to college. I was almost one of those guys that stayed in my hometown, didn’t go to college, and relied on my high school stardom to remain popular in the eyes of the town. I would have worked a regular job, drank every evening, and probably been dead by forty. Luckily, that wasn’t the case!

    Out On My Own

    I graduated from university with a BS in Education, and a minor in biological sciences. As I’m sure you have gathered, I loved college! It would have been even better if it weren’t for having to go to classes all the time. But, now it was time to get out and to start a career. The problem was that there weren’t any jobs around Oklahoma City at the time; so, I took a job in the closest city I could find - Hong Kong.

    Upon arrival, I was told that my apartment wouldn’t be ready for two weeks and so they were going to put me up with one of the other teachers. They forgot to mention that the teacher was a nun (gulp!). I met her at the school and then we headed for the house. After putting my things away, and feeling somewhat nervous, we sat to talk. I knew that I would settle in nicely with my new friend when she asked her first question, How about a cold beer?

    As I began my teaching career, I quickly developed the idea / philosophy that just because I taught health and physical

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