Running, Anywhere, USA
I was THE slowest kid in the sixth grade. I couldn't complete the ten-minute-mile test if I was being chased by a pack of rabid zombie dogs. Since then, I've always admired runners. They seemed to posses some strength and determination I must have been born without. I also believed that runners were partly deranged- I mean, who could possibly enjoy being short of breath, and getting stomach cramps, and doing the same monotonous action for miles?!
As an adult, my admiration grew into emulation. A couple years ago, I started to like the idea of being thought of as a runner. (Plus, running is free and I was broke.) I signed up for my first 5K and started training on the treadmill in the gym of my condo, using Couch to 5K. Just having a running app made me feel like a real 'runner' and therefore, much cooler. And using an app made it much more fun, especially because I was able to post my progress on Facebook, which made my friends think I was a runner, which definitely made my cool points take an exponential leap (if only in my own mind). The tribe mentality also caused me to run more often. I went from running once a week to three to four times a week. During this time, I invested in legitimate running sneakers, which I researched extensively online, and I even subscribed to Runner's World magazine and several running blogs. Even though I was running and had all of the gear, I still felt like a phoney. I mean, running was getting slightly easier, but I certainly wasn't enjoying myself. I kept at it none-the-less and completed my first 5K in 30 minutes- not to shabby for a girl who couldn't pass P.E.
In the months that followed that first official run, something strange happened- I kept running. It seemed while pretending to be a runner I had somehow become a runner along the way. I've become one of the silly freaks that smiles while sweat pours down their back under the glaring Florida sun. Finally, I'm one of the cool kids! I'm still not much faster and I have several moments of weakness each time I run, but running has become a great therapist and a source of all kinds of positive mushy feelings about myself.
Running is something you can do right now, so if you've never tried it...
just put one foot in front of the other, and just keep doing that - over and over again - until you feel euphoric. Be careful- euphoria and nausea are interrelated, so stop if the world starts spinning around you.
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