I Am Still Running
It has been around five years and my new recreational activity of running has become thoroughly a part of my lifestyle. My body has never felt better and my mind has never been clearer.
All of my running is done outside, so I may be missing some of the benefits of the gym, but I keep pounding the pavement anyway.
Now in today's world of fitness minded maniacs, going to the gym could possibly have an impact on an evolutionary change in humans, which I think would be beneficial. Many of the machines are designed to give a good cardiovascular workout, but in a manner that will reduce the stress on joints that would happen in old style exercise, such as running and its pounding on the leg joints. With the new equipment, we may start to replace our lower body joints with wheels. Imagine how we could speed around town with wheels, instead of these cumbersome ill-fitting legs that we currently have. We could hook up little Varooom Motors or put baseball cards or balloons between the spokes. Stopping might be a problem, but I am sure an evolutionary brake would also come about.
Nevertheless, I don't roll; I run. Currently, I run a 5K race in the low twenty minute range, but when I first started it was much different. I found this old email where I talked about running when I first started:
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Now, speaking of legs, I did it again. That's right I tried to destroy them. I didn't know if I was going to be available on Sunday morning, until Saturday, and then I decided to make a commitment. A life altering, death defying decision, which could only be made by one who is completely out of his mind. I ran in another 5K. It had not been since I was in the cold tundra regions of Florida (It was actually in the twenties on this short trip in January.), that I had stretched out my legs for running or walking for that matter, but I decided that I was in. I mainly did it because my daughter does this stuff, so it is kind of a father daughter binding type of thing and, who knows, maybe it even has some health benefits. In my first 5K, my goal was to finish at 40 minutes or less (and to survive), a goal which I surpassed by finishing in around 37 minutes and so many seconds. This time I figured I should shoot for a new goal, which was 35 minutes or less. This time their was stronger competition, that included highschool running teams, the naval academy, the local police department, all groups that run all of the time. Not that I expected to run at their pace, but they were an impetus to go faster so as to not look extremely slow when I came in near the back of the pack. My time was 32 minutes and 14 seconds. Unfortuneately, I will probably be convinced to do this again and then I will set another goal of 30 minutes or less. I can already feel the acheing muscles, no wait that's from this last run.
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Today, I do not ache before, during, or after a run and I always make time to do it. Yes, I began this pleasurable activity around the start of the year about five years back and now I suggest the same for you.
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