Why run?

DW & DD are used to the idea I work out virtually every night after dinner. They know after supper I disappear for a hour or two & come back sweaty. I either go down to the basement or hit the road running.

I crosstrain for my upper body on the rowing machine & the Nordic Trak, mostly for my upper body. Both are very worthwhile exercises. When I do them I usually watch the ballgame or a DVD. They are the exercises I started doing when I began losing weight in 2003. But, in April I returned to my first love: running.

The first time I ran 8 miles I was really psyched. I came back into the house & told DW. She asked me "Why?" Why indeed?

Running gets me in shape. Duh. it gives me the most bang for the buck aerobically speaking than any other exercise. I love the way my legs are looking. To say my loss of fat has accelerated since I resumed running would be an understatement.

From a WW's perspective I rack up more activity points from running than virtually anything else. More activity points = more food. I can eat that bowl of ice cream or have that beer guilt-free because I ran five miles.

Running calms me down. I know most exercise does to an extent but, not to the extent running does. If I've had a crappy day a good run brings me back to earth.

There's a meditative quality to running. I know sometimes running feels like torture but, when it's good there's a zen-like quality to running. It's meditation in action instead of in stillness. (Is that hatha yoga? )

When I run I night, there's less traffic and very few people about. It's like I have the world to myself. If it's really late at night it's almost a little spooky, in a cool kind of way.

I ran when I was younger & the resumption of running reconnects me to my youth. I like the age I'm at now but, it's very satisfying to pick up this old sport.

I love my Shuffle. It's a chance to zone out to some good tunes. I have a killer mix of blues, reggae, R&B, rock, & even some holdovers from DD's time with the Shuffle. I wouldn't get a chance to sit down & listen to music for an hour or so if I was sitting on home. On the road, there's nobody to stop me.

Running constantly makes me push myself. Run faster. Run further. Run better. Make another goal & push. 10K, half marathons, the marathon are all out there waiting for me.

Running is an ancient activity. According to some scientists the very shape of our physiology was caused by running. Part of what made us evolve from the earlier forms of humans into what we are today was shaped in part by running. When I run I'm connecting with an activity that goes back to the Dawn of Time. Call me a geek but, that's cool.

I also like the fact that running is a sport/activity that mystifies the non-runner. I remember the cool feeling I got from being a person who never played sports & never really exercised to becoming a marathoner. My return to marathoning is just a matter of time. DD & DW don't fully understand my desire to run that distance again but, they will come to accept it. Hopefully, they'll be a little bit excited about it too.