Running Through Change

As a new year begins, thoughts of change are common. That change might be intimidating, or it might feel like a long time coming, or both. Perhaps that change will be uncomfortable, or perhaps it will make you ask yourself, “why didn’t I do this sooner?”. This past December, I encountered change on a cold long run in Indiana.

The snow crunched under our feet as my two cousins and I set out from our grandparents’ house on a frigid Christmas day. The whole family had gathered in Indiana to celebrate, and just a few days prior, a winter storm had dropped the temperature from a balmy forty degrees to sub-zero, with a wind chill to boot. We went running anyway. Thanks to the plow trucks, the snow was not very deep on the roads, though we did encounter some icy patches periodically.  A former college runner, I had gone out in far worse conditions than these, and my two cousins were high school and college runners themselves. I was confident we could handle the weather, especially given how much we were bundled up. There’s always a balance to strike, trying to minimize the bulk of clothing to preserve mobility while also wearing enough to stay warm, a challenge enhanced by the fact that all three of us live in the southern United States and do not often have to deal with that sort of winter weather on a regular basis. We slowed down and took small, quick steps to maintain our footing, and kept moving forward. We all agreed that it really wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be.

As we left the neighborhood and slid down the hill to the river trail, which cuts through the downtown, I was reminded of how much things can change in such a relatively short time. Over the course of three days, the weather had changed drastically, but that’s how weather works. On a slightly longer timescale, over the course of fifteen years, both of my little baby cousins had developed into competitive athletes who could run with the best of them, but that’s part of growing up.

In the time since my mom had lived in this Indiana town as a kid, the locale had transformed from a booming center of automotive manufacturing to one of stark austerity. The citizens of that town still feel the pain from that change to this day.

Nine miles later, we arrived back in the driveway at our grandparents’ house, sweat frozen on the backs of our necks. I am not at all kidding when I say that going back inside was the worst part, at least for me. As my distal lower extremities re-warmed, they helped educate me on what “burning, pins-and-needles” pain feels like. Change can be both painful and necessary; you can’t stay out in the cold forever.

Several months out from medical school graduation and the beginning of residency training (at least, that’s what I hope and pray for), that sort of uncomfortable-but-necessary change frequently comes to mind. I know my classmates are preparing for a similar change, and that we will all be treating patients who are experiencing drastic changes regarding their health. There will certainly be more pleasant changes too, including the growth that comes from pushing up against the limits of one’s own knowledge and ability. By the time 2023 is over, I hope to look back and appreciate how much life has changed, and how much growth occurred in the midst of that change. Regardless of the types of change coming this year, I hope you can look forward to that same sort of growth.