I never in a million wild dreams would have pictured myself as a runner -- not even in my youth.. as a little girl who only played outside from sun-up to sun-down, I STILL was never one to "wear myself out" ..running made my side hurt ...so I avoided it.
BUT one day ('bout 10 years ago) an idea so novel entered my (by this time) sedentary brain.. I just came out and asked myself "Why CAN'T I do it??"
I lived in Farrington Grove and I went for a walk. Got to the start of one block and challenged myself to run to the end of it.. NO stopping until I got there. I would WILL myself to the end of the block.. arms flailing.. breathing extremely loud. (I still don't concern myself with "form" :)
One block led to two, led to three, ...and now (no kidding!) 3 MILES.
I run through my neighborhood, mapped the route with my car. I've been doing this on a fairly regular basis (most of the time taking the winters off) for 8 years.
No doubt about it -- the best weight loss aid there is.
PLUS a great way to meet my neighbors! There's a lot of waiving going on, smiles, hello's.
I think it's a great way for people to come to know me. Every-once-in-a-while I stop for a conversation.. get a chance to tell people what I do..
Tonight, through the music in my ears, I thought I could hear my name.. I turned around and it was a little group of kids that know me from Erin's school. It's a great pick-me-up to get these waves and hear my name called out.
It's also a great fount for funny stories.. of late these stories are mostly about the neighborhood dogs. There's a pitbull that sees me coming everytime. No matter where she is in her yard, she runs toward the fence as if her hairs on fire! Barking and growling at me.. she never jumps over the fence (but, I REALLY think she could and just doesn't know it.)
Well, one day I was headed towards her yard.. so I am thinking about her, with my music in my ears, wandering if this might be the day she realizes she can jump over the fence.. I hear the barking/growling out of the corner of my eye I see the dog ..SHE'S OUT OF THE FENCE! I -- screamed -- bloody -- murder ...then I realized it was not her ..it was a dachsund I look up and the owner is standing in front of me. She's yelling at me "She won't bite!!"
I have said that I run as if I'm running on the moon... I'm REALLY VERY slow...
Last week I was running by this REALLY VERY elderly looking gentleman standing there with a dog on a leash (a dachsund btw.) He says something to me but I can't hear over my music. I take the bud out of my ear..
"What's that?" I ask.
"You need to run a little faster!"
You know, no matter what you do.. you will have a critic!
One last thing.. Running gives me a great opportunity to THINK. I suggest everybody give it a try. Start with one block. I like to listen to music. I change it up -- but right now it's Need to Breathe, a couple of Adelle songs, Nelly, an obscure song that Matt found for me a couple of years ago called "Gasoline" unfortunately it's not on Youtube or I would add it here.. I love that one.
Here's a Need to Breathe song that I like to run to.. The songs don't have to be fast.. they just have to be enjoyable. The time your running doesn't have to be hard.. make it what you want it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXW2I68IXE
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