week 31
social prescriptions
I recently listened to a podcast episode of The Good Life Project featuring a doctor who was discussing social prescriptions, or “community gatherings, art classes, nature immersion, volunteer service and physical activity prescribed by doctors.” I had just been thinking that I need structure around things I want to do or learn, including fitness. One of the periods where I was the happiest was my senior year of high school during cross country season. I hated high school overall, but for the three or four months of cross country I was happier than I’d ever been. Part of it was the endorphins that come from running 20+ miles per week, but part of it was moving my body with other people, having the structure of a coach who would give us drills, and a sense of community as we cheered each other on during races. And I loved seeing my times drop, and getting a notecard any time I hit a new PR. I was never one of the top runners, but I improved dramatically over the course of one season, and I always wondered how much more I could have improved if I’d started running earlier and could continue over more seasons. When cross country ended I still tried to run and completed two marathons and a handful of 5k’s and 10k’s, but it didn’t have the same excitement as running on cross country.
Now, at the heaviest I have been in my life and not feeling particularly well, plus all the health things that are popping up (all of which seem to come with the label “inflammation”), I can’t ignore or “later” my way into physical fitness. I signed up for The Day of the Dead race, a 5k run I did with my friend in college. The first place finisher in each age/ sex category receives a hand-painted skull, and we thought it would be so cool to get a skull. Of course there was no way that I could get one in the twenty to twenty-four age group, but this year I am going to turn 35 right before the race, and I wonder if there is a chance to go for a skull in the 35-39 female category. (Ugh, I can’t believe I’m in that bracket already).
I have three months to prepare, basically a cross country season. I could (and will) download a Hal Higdon 5k training schedule, but I also know I need some sense of community structure that I can count on for support as well. So I joined a community track club, and every Tuesday I am going to commit to showing up and doing the workouts for my pace group. This is the community physical activity that I am prescribing myself, and soon I may also prescribe my community adult swim club. It will take time to see if it’s a good fit, but it’s worth a try. Just as my writer’s group has been incredible for social writing support, I just may find my fitness social support as well.