| Impressions |

In the Long Run

By Esther Shaindy Leshkowitz | May 26, 2020

I wondered if it was time to take on something I had an aversion to — physical exercise

Years ago, you crossed paths. It may have been a brief encounter, it may have been a relationship spanning years. In that meeting place, something changed. Her hands warmed your essence, left an imprint upon your soul.

Seven writers sought out the women who changed them — and told them of the impact they’d had

In the summer, I’d stand on my porch early in the morning, and watch Judy run.

Judy runs marathons, and her morning jog of eight miles was like my leisurely morning stroll — if I would have taken a morning stroll. I didn’t because I’m not a physically active person. I never was. I can clearly remember my counselors saying we have to play duck, duck, goose and I’d groan at the thought of being chosen for goose, of having to run in the thick summer air. I’d bring a book to sports activities.

As I got older, nothing changed. I’d watch women exercise at the pool. I heard them say words like crunch, lunge, and cardio, but it had nothing to do with me. High tech sneakers and sleek workout clothes were items from another world I had no wish to explore. I’d watch my friends take their morning power walks, striding purposely to nowhere, and wonder, Why? Sometimes they’d invite me. “Wanna walk to Woodbourne? We’ll have iced coffee when we get there.”

“Call me when you’re ten minutes away,” I’d answer. “I’ll drive over and meet you.”

It’s not like I never moved. As a kid, I took ballet for eight years, and even owned a pair of en pointe shoes, though admittedly, it was only for the most basic beginner toe. And I’m a proficient swimmer; I swim regularly, three times a week. But running, doing something that makes me pant? No thanks. Give me a book and a chair and a glass of herbal tea, please.

While I had firm opinions about exercise, I am open to new experiences. I have this thing where I try to learn a new skill every year. I do it partly because I’ve heard it does wonders to preserve brain cells, but also because I wonder if I’ll discover some latent talent. Even if I don’t end up being the next Georgia O’Keefe, trying something new satisfies a craving.

One year, I focused on needlepoint stitches. Another year I baked elaborate cakes. I learned to make jewelry. These were all things I’d been curious about, and wanted to try.

I’m no masochist, but having watched Judy run all those times, I wondered if it was time to take on something I had an aversion to — physical exercise.

Before starting, I needed a plan. I consulted Judy. She suggested a routine that alternated running with power walking. She revealed that many times she’d also had to start from scratch. For example, if she had an injury, after she healed she’d have to rebuild her stamina.

Hearing that she also started from the bottom was encouraging, and I took the plunge. It also helped that I pictured myself running a 10K, casually mentioning to acquaintances, Yes, I run marathons, as if it was something I did as naturally as blinking.

In addition to running, and swimming three times a week, I tried other types of workouts the remaining days. I told myself that if I didn’t like it, I could always stop.

It’s four years later. I can run two miles in under 30 minutes, I can do planks, and I can stand on my head. I still don’t enjoy running, but I do it anyway, because I need cardio (yes, I now use the word), and I enjoy the high that comes after. I’ve also discovered I enjoy other types of exercise, like hiking and yoga. What I learned from this is that it pays to give something a chance, even if you think you’ll hate it.

I thought Judy should know this. Getting in touch with her was no big deal. I have her in my contacts; we spend the summer in the same place in the mountains.

Judy, I texted her, you inspired me.

I have no idea how I could’ve been inspirational, she wrote back.

Can I call you to tell you about it?

Sure.

I called Judy a couple of days later. We made small talk about managing during quarantine, the not-so-small blessing of having older children who can entertain themselves. She mentioned how she’s not such a “going out to places person,” so she doesn’t really mind the lack of socializing. Being cut from a similar cloth myself, I agreed wholeheartedly.

When I explained how she was the catalyst for me setting up an exercise schedule, she seemed unimpressed. She couldn’t see how doing what was normal and ordinary (for her) could make someone else change.

“I love working out, feeling strong,” Judy said. “The feeling of working hard, the great feeling afterward — the endorphins. I love it the next day, when my muscles ache.”

“I like the after-feeling, too, and the next day, but not actually running,” I told her.

“I know people like that, who don’t look forward to the exercise, but to the high after, and they procrastinate exercising. I tell them, if you exercise earlier, you’ll have that great feeling the entire day, but if you wait until later, you’ll feel great for a shorter amount of time.

“Running is so beneficial,” Judy continues. “It’s great cardio, the calorie burn is fantastic, and, of course, there’s the fresh air.”

I wanted her to assess me.

“Am I an active person?” I ask her.

“That’s up to you. If you’re consciously choosing to be active, you’re an active person,” she answers.

But I already knew the answer. Recently we’d taken a class together, and we discussed a specific routine. “Maybe that would be hard for a beginner,” she’d said, “but you aren’t one.”

On the Other Side

Judy’s take:

When Esther Shaindy asked me if she could talk to me about being an inspiration to her, I couldn’t imagine what she meant. To me inspirational means a teacher, rabbi, nurse — not me! Even once she explained that I inspired her to exercise, I was surprised. I guess I talk about my running too much. That’s typical of runners, especially when training for a race.

Exercise is so much a part of me, so natural to me. I don’t think of it as something you have to start doing. You exercise because it’s part of life. Even as a teenager, I was always on the move.

I ran my first marathon in 2013. I started backward. Most people start with 5K, then 10K, then half marathon, but I was all in at once. I once did an 18-mile run, and thought, If I can do that, then I can run a marathon. I went from never having run a race to running a full marathon.

I don’t run so much anymore. I’m quicker to get injured. So I just do a basic run these days: 6–7 miles an hour. In quarantine, it’s been saving my sanity. It’s my hour of quiet, my space.

You want everyone to experience that endorphin high, and I have to admit that it does make me feel good to know that I’ve inspired others to exercise. As I get older, I realize more and more how essential it is to both mental and physical health.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 694)

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