Running, surprisingly, transformed my emotionally abusive relationship with harsh Chicago winter into a healthy one. Before getting into running, I was stressing out about winter even before its arrival; I was watching the dance of the yellow leaves from the trees onto the ground with anxiety because it reminded me that the winter is about to cast its iron sky over us. When the spring started showing signs of life, I was yet nervous again because it was still highly likely to have a snowy day and sub-zero temperatures in April, even in May. In summer, as I was enjoying sunny beach days, I was constantly reminding myself that summer only lasts two months here, and winter is around the corner. As you can see, I did not have a healthy relationship with winter.
Then one day I saw a flyer at my boxing gym about a 0-5K training program offered for free by Evanston Running Club (ERC). When my husband and I signed up for the program, we didn’t have a clue at all that this would change our lives for the better. First, I hated running, I never ran more than 20 minutes even when I was working out regularly. I thought running was just not for me. How wrong I was. Running is for everyone, for all ages and shapes. You just need to ease into it. We graduated from 0-5K training program after ten weeks. To my surprise, I managed to complete a 5K race. This was around Fall 2018, when I normally get nervous about the coming winter. In my head, I am imagining a scene from Game of Thrones, where I say to myself: “Winter is coming. Only if we had the wall, how easier it would have been to survive. ” And I am picturing the wall separating us from the winds blowing off from the lake.
After the race, I joined Sunday running group at ERC, and with a like-minded group of people, we keep running no matter what. I watch the leaves turning to yellow, then orange as I run past them. Running taught me to be in the present; it is like everything is still and I am the only one moving. And I stopped worrying about the winter. As it gets colder, I just put on more layers, and keep running. Then the winter arrives with its full force: snow, wind chills, and low temperatures. I just put more layers, get outside, and run. The running (of course, with the right gear) keeps you warm.
As my heart beat gets faster, my thoughts slow down. The stillness of the frozen lake reflects back on my mind. I let myself be in the moment. While many people I know of complained about the Chicago winter, I was just so content about it. It makes you stronger and resilient; it makes you appreciate other seasons; it makes you more excited about the first sprout or flower you spot. I have yet to run in summer season, but I am thinking it can only get better from here.
My running journey started from 30-second running and 5-minute walking (on a repeat for ~20 mins), and now I can run 10K running a little over an hour. I set running goals for myself: running faster over short distances and running at a steady pace over longer distances. I will improve myself slowly, but not pushing myself, while cherishing every bit of it. This year, I joined
the Shamrock Shuffle 8K run, a Chicago tradition for runners, and Chi Town 10K run. It is way more fun to run with other people. It creates this amazing atmosphere that pumps energy into your body to cross the finish line. I am so happy to give running a second chance, as it helped me become stronger; it made me cherish every season and moment; and helped me connect with like-minded group of people who support me all the way to the finish line.
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