MANASOTA TRACK CLUB

experiences and attitudes with running.

Ms. Winspeed Starts Running
By Sheri Bedford

Ms. Winspeed flew along the beach. Though she was 60 and portly, she was determined to live up to her name. She thumped persistently along, waving every now and then to a friend or one of the lifeguards scattered the length of the white sandy stretch.

"I didn’t start running till New Year’s Day 1995," she told me as I jogged beside her. "I felt strange wearing spandex…thought I’d poke out in all the wrong places, so I wore my tennis gear. The shoes seemed rather heavy." She paused for a breath as she smiled that grandmotherly smile. Her rosy cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s.
"Then, after several weeks of that, I realized there were other ladies jogging the length of the beach, ladies who poked out when they ran. Those women didn’t seem to mind if they jiggled a little...plus, they told me the tight spandex legs of the running gear made them feel as if they were running faster." She lowered her gaze to her thighs, which certainly were well contained.
"I bought lighter weight running shoes, too. My tennis shoes were way too heavy. After those changes, I felt as if I had more energy and spunk.

I ambled beside her and wondered how a plump little lady like her had ever gotten into long distance running.

"It was for stress relief mainly," Ms. Winspeed said.

"You don’t look very stressed to me." Her upturned nose and healthy smile lit up her face.

"Not now, I’m not. I decided I better set some goals and stick with them. My life had changed so much in the past 5 years, I just found I couldn’t cope anymore. You’d never know it to look at me now would you?"

I glanced over at her resilient form pursuing a goal. She looked relaxed as she ran. Her arms moved easily. Her carriage was erect; her legs unstrained.

"My first goal was to go out and run for 15 minutes straight...no walking. I knew I could do this because I’d been a walker for years. My husband and I used to take long beach walks at night, maybe 2 or 3 miles. We used to travel abroad and walk through all the cities of Europe at a good clip. Ernie was a wonderful man.

"He was part of the reason I took up running. I was trying to run him out of my memory. I should have known that would never happen. I eventually accepted his passing. It took a lot of miles, though."

"Change is a great stress factor," I acknowledged. "Many people can’t deal with it. It scares them and they retreat into a safe hiding place."

Ms. Winspeed glanced over at me and smiled once more.

"I found that out. I went inside my shell for awhile, but I knew I’d have to get out and start living again eventually. So I started running.
"I’m not the most fit looking woman you’ve ever seen, but no one is more consistent and disciplined, once I’ve made my mind up...So I ran every day for 15 minutes. Don’t know how far that was. Didn’t care. The point was to get out of the house and see some other faces and experience a little life."

"I bet it helped with your self-esteem, too."

Ms.Winspeed’s white hair blew airily.

"I talked to myself in the mirror each morning after my coffee. Had a little conversation about the wonderful person I was, how compassionate I was to others, how I helped them see the best in themselves and why shouldn’t I do that for myself as well?

"Yes, running did help with my self-esteem. It showed me I could do more than I thought I could. I put my ribbons and trophies from my first races up on the wall. I call it my victory wall. Even though I don’t win every race, the victory lies in the fact that I go out and participate, make new friends and keep active."

"What are your up-coming goals, Ms. Winspeed?"

"To try some organized workouts, like speed and hill work, to be consistent in my mileage, to run a race at a consistent pace."

"Thanks. I’ll keep in touch and see how you’re coming along."

I puffed my way back to the parking lot as Ms Winspeed kept her steady pace past the catamarans up toward the north end of the beach. I knew I would see her another day to discover how a woman reinvents herself through running.

© Copyright by Sheri Bedford 1999