Street Smart

I recently started running again and it’s hard to describe how good that has made me feel, physically and mentally. I guess I should back up a step and explain that calling what I do “running” is being especially generous with the word. My wife and I laughingly call what I do a “wog.” Something between a walk and a jog. It’s hideous, but I’m moving forward so I’ll take it.

My journey with exercise has been long and mostly ugly! Growing up, I was the chubby kid. I was always picked last for any sport that required speed or agility. The only team sport I ever excelled at was football, but even then I was never allowed to actually touch the ball. Every huddle in our pick up games went pretty much the same; The quarterback would call the play, “Steve go right, Joe go left, Shayne go long… Blaine block.” The last two words in the huddle were always the same. What I learned though was that I was pretty strong. Since strength was the only thing I had going for me athletically, I gravitated toward weight lifting. My best friend’s dad was a big guy and had a decent weight set in his garage. Since I had access to that anytime I wanted to use it, I took advantage. I got pretty good at it too. I never received professional training and wasn’t interested in body building. I just wanted to be strong, so I got into powerlifting.

When I decided I wanted to be a police officer and started the application process, I got a rude awakening. I received what at the time was called “the fat man’s letter.” In short, I was told I was obese. I was 5’8” and weighed about 210. Way off what was considered in the range for ideal height to weight ratio. My background investigator bluntly summed it up to me. He told me, “Blaine, you can pick up the rear end of a station wagon, but you can’t run around it!” I had to re-think my plan.

I hated running. I did it when I played football in high school, but only because I had to. In 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Academy training was built on the Marine Corps model. Running was a big part of the training, so I had to learn how to do it if I wanted the job…no way around it. I was fortunate though. A good friend of mine was a very accomplished cross country runner and he promised to help me. Dan took me on countless runs and, looking back, I recognize how patient he was. It was a long process, but I was determined. Long story short…I dropped the weight and got the job. I was never a great runner in the Academy, but I got by just fine. Unfortunately, I still hated running and vowed to never to do it again once I graduated. I was wrong!

I went nearly four years without running a step for training. I got back into weightlifting and thought things were moving along well. Then I applied for a job in Metropolitan Division (Metro). In order to get the job, I had to pass a Physical Fitness Qualification (PFQ) that required running. I thought, ‘here we go again’. Thanks to what I learned from my friend Dan, I was able to train and pass the PFQ. I only made the run time by three seconds, but I passed!

Metro placed a lot of emphasis on fitness. The PFQ was held every three months and failure to pass could be grounds for removal from the Division. I still hated running and did the bare minimum just to make sure I passed the tests. I went right back to lifting weights (you’d think I’d learn). That all changed for me when I chased a very overweight bad guy and lost him! He outran me and I vowed that would never happen again.

I started running and really focused on the effort. The first few weeks were tough and I thought about going back to my old routine. Then, one day (I’ll never forget the day or where I was), it felt good and I wanted to go further! I learned to love running because of that one run. Running became my “go-to” in terms of fitness and mental health. I found it easy to maintain my weight (something I had always struggled with) as long as I kept running. I even ran the L.A. marathon. That’s another story!

As years passed, age and injuries stopped me from running the way I used to. It started to hurt if I even tried. I just assumed this to be the price to pay for the work I’d done, injuries, and a part of the aging process, so I quit trying. This past summer, I got another wakeup call (why does it always require some sort of wakeup call for me!?). I got back from my granddaughter’s Air Force graduation and felt horrible. My pants didn’t fit and I felt bloated all the time. I realized I’d let myself go and needed to change.

I couldn’t start running immediately. My body wouldn’t allow that. I changed aspects of my diet and dropped some weight. Then I got on a treadmill and started walking. Every now and then I’d throw in a jog. Over time, the amount of jogging surpassed the time walking and I kept progressing. I’m up to counting miles now instead of minutes and the progress is very slow. Still… it’s progress!

I’m sharing all of this because of what I’ve learned about myself. I’d fallen into the trap of believing my diminished physical activity was just a natural part of aging and all I had was the “glory days.” I was wrong again! While aging is obviously a factor, it’s no reason to quit trying. I realized that God has blessed me with a very resilient body that will serve me well into old age if I just take better care of it. I still have bad habits, and I know that Father Time is going to prevail in the end. He’s in for a fight though, because I intend to go down kicking and scratching the whole way!

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].