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Run For Your Life: A Physician’s Journey to Finding the Joy of Running

By Dr. Rebecca Peebles, UT Health East Texas

It doesn’t long take for toddlers to start running after they learn to walk. Watch a child run. For kids, there is something almost magical about the freedom and joy of running. As we get older, most of us lose sight of the joy of running. For many adults, whether through the forced drills of a rigid coach, the stringent fitness requirements of the military, or the transition to a sedentary lifestyle, somewhere along the line running becomes a chore. 

Unlike my husband, JT, who grew up watching his mom run professionally and participated in running events from a very young age, I was never in sports that required running. I often joked that the farthest I would run was the few steps to gain enough momentum for my next tumbling pass and then I was done. Being a long-time power tumbler and cheerleader, our high school track and field coach tried time and time again to recruit me for jumping events, but the prospect of having to run as part of the training made me literally run far away from the sport. I did play rugby at Texas Tech, but the farthest we had to run was a 2-mile long run on days when practice wasn’t going well, and it was torture. 

In 2008, I graduated from college and found myself without a sport for the first time since I was 3. At the time, my mom was dating my stepdad, a long-time marathon runner, and I laughed when he suggested that I try running. Not long after that, a close friend found out that she was deploying to Afghanistan. She approached me with the idea of running a half marathon together — a bucket-list item that she wanted to check off before she deployed. I was not crazy about the idea, but I reluctantly agreed after she reminded me that the dangers of her pending deployment may leave her unable to complete this bucket-list item later. 

We trained for the next few months and completed the El Paso half marathon in February 2009. I was miserable for the second half of the race, yet, crossing the finish line lit a spark in me. Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy the experience, I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed pushing myself and decided in that moment that I would do one full marathon and then quit running. I had no idea at the time that spark would light a fire and I would still be running 14 years later. 

I started medical school in 2009 and joined a local running group in Fort Worth to train for my first full marathon, Dallas White Rock. As I hit new distances and new paces, I began to understand how people become addicted. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride in the struggle. There are days when running is terrible and it takes everything in you to finish the workout you set out to do. Those days make you stronger, both mentally and physically. Then there are days where the magic you experienced as a kid seems to come back. The run is effortless and simply life-giving. 

What was most surprising to me about becoming a runner was the community. Runners are an interesting group — we choose to put our bodies into the “pain-cave” as some refer to it. This like-mindedness in the enjoyment of pushing our bodies over paces and distances lends to easy and instant connections with others in the sport. You get to know people quickly when you train with them since endurance training gives you plenty of time to visit — at least 30 minutes on a short day and sometimes hours during a long run. Even during a race, it is not uncommon to develop friendships with people you meet on the course. 

You see, it brings back the basics of God’s design. Running takes you back into nature. Early morning runs allow you to hear the chatter of bugs and birds, see animals that haven’t yet been scared away by the morning rush-hour traffic, witness the masterpiece in the sky as the sun rises. It allows you to move your body, which fuels your brain with energy for learning and processing through the day. 

There is a freedom in it, too. I have had many runs that were driven by stress, frustration and other emotions. The beauty of the sport is you can literally run away from it all and come back when you’re ready. It lifts your mood and reminds you that you can do hard things.

There are so many mental and physical health reasons to run. You don’t have to be fast and you don’t have to go far. It starts with one step out the door. I couldn’t even run a mile when I started. I never thought I would ever run a marathon, and I definitely never thought I could qualify for the Boston Marathon. It hasn’t been without injury and trial, but God has blessed me with an able body and strong-willed mind. It has been such an amazing journey! I’m looking forward to many more miles, and I invite you to join me on the journey of finding joy in running. 

Rebecca Peebles, DO, is a primary care and sports medicine physician at UT Health East Texas Physicians on Patriot Drive in Tyler. She specializes in running medicine, osteopathic manipulation, nutrition and exercise as medicine.