This morning I ran 8.1 miles, which is about 13 kilometers. It was exhilarating, particularly because as I was doing it I realized I could run for eternity. I didn’t feel tired once… I just needed to hit the books after a while, which was the only reason I stopped when I did. I’ve never been a runner. But I’ve believed in cardio from the start: cardio to lose weight, strength-training to look good. When I started gyming it regularly, my cardio exercise was the elliptical machine and the elliptical machine only (you’re far less likely to strain your joints and it’s still a mega pound-shedder). But about three months ago, I decided I would become a long-distance runner.
There were a couple of things that sold running. First off, it’s pretty free. After a good pair of shoes, and a device for music on the go, I pretty much just need my legs. So when I’m away from home, out of town, on holiday, gym-less, I can still give myself a solid workout. It’s a great time to shift whatever gear you find yourself in, whatever mood's choking you, any stagnant energy you’re storing. I got into running as a way of subscribing to a culture that would allow me to maintain my weight loss by committing to an active lifestyle.
Because I know, accept and enjoy the fact that I seem to live by way of a series of evolving addictions, I consciously do my part to become subsumed by whatever I’m trending. So after a friend let me borrow her copy, I subscribed to Runner’s World magazine … I joined a group on campus that runs to raise money for education (you should sponsor me in the moonlight run)… and I signed up to run a couple of 10k’s and a half-marathon. In 2011, I will run a full marathon (26 miles, 42 kilometers). It will be awesome.
Tips for the Long Run:
Playlists- choose music that makes you want to get up and dance (I started singing out loud during my run today… yes, it was weird… but belting GreenDay rocked)
Audiobooks – listen to a book on tape to get a good dose of fiction, to get lost in a story and forget about counting the minutes
Itunes U – download lectures from various universities for free, and start learning about something, you’d otherwise be too busy for.
Route – the more scenic the better: if not forests, if not beaches, house-scope in the suburbs, people-watch in the cities...
Say hi – you may be lost in your headspace, but even when you move through the world at pace, a friendly hello to a random on the street or a fellow runner breaks smiles.
