i don’t know what triggered it but about a year ago EVERYONE started running. like, for fun. all around us friends were entering 10Ks and 1/2 marathons, collecting race teeshirts and comparing (always ugly) options for new running shoes. [sidenote: WHY ARE RUNNING SHOES SO UNATTRACTIVE? i know that ‘is not the point’ but really- every women’s favorite color combo is no longer pink, teal and white. rant!] unfortunately, i’ve always been one to argue the idea of running- i just don’t get it. i understand exercise where there are points, rules and interaction, and also exercise where one goes to the gym and uses lots of fancy machines but i have never understood the allure of just. running. and then turning around and just. running. back.
BUT, we want to be in shape! matt has run off and on since his cross country days in high school but me? i’ve never run just for the sake of running. soccer conditioning until i quit mid-high school, running from a store to the car in the rain & the occasional sprint to catch the dog has been the extent of it for me. until 6 weeks ago.
so yes, we decided to give it a shot. mostly because i couldn’t come up with any other form of exercise that was more efficient and i wanted this ‘getting in shape thing’ to take as little time as possible. so, we’re running. our friends tell us that means we’re ‘runners’ now which kinda makes me giggle- who’d have thought!? we’ve been steadily lengthening our runs and we’re finding ourselves filling short work breaks reading about barefoot running, foot strike and looking for races that aren’t on saturdays.
i wish i could get all flowery and talk about the beauty i’ve found in running but that would just not be the case. it almost breaks my spirit every single time we go. ;) BUT, after about 5 minutes back in the air conditioning i feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that kinda makes it worth it. it at least makes me happy enough to forget the drowning humidity of running on a 100 degree day in atlanta- enough that i’ll get out and run again. so, i guess what i’m saying is that we’re trying this. no idea if it will stick with us but so far we’re looking ok. i just wanted to let you know in case we run into you and we’re all gross and sweaty and (in my case) terribly splotchy. it’s because we’re runners, ya’ll- HIGH FIVE!
and since it is HOT out there- a refreshing image for you! [feel free to click on the image to access the larger file and make it your desktop background!]
