Running

I saw this movie on Netflix last night that reminded me of how much I truly used to love running.  I ran all throughout my 20s, almost every day and it just made me feel so good.  I lost it a bit in my 30s and early 40s, but not completely; I’d do it for months at a time, then stop for one reason or another.  When I hit my mid-40s, concurrent with other life changes (e.g., job change, the move from Chicago to Western Massachusetts, etc.), I lost it completely and haven’t run in probably 8 years.  I haven’t been completely sedentary and have done a lot of walking, especially over the last two or three years, but it’s not quite the same thing as running.  I love walking, and it’s been great for my mental, spiritual, and emotional health when I make the time to do it, but it’s just not quite the same as running.  Watching that movie last night reminded me of that.  And the movie was encouraging in a way, too, because the person who was running was a teenaged kid who had never run before, but because he moved to a different city and enrolled in a new private school where they required students to engage in at least one sport, he found himself starting something new.  It was rough going at first but eventually he mastered it.  

Having not run in quite some time, I am pretty out of shape.  But I want to change that and get back into running and recapture a bit of what that made me feel (and look) like.  This morning I ran for the first time in ages—not far or long, only about 0.7 miles, which took maybe ten minutes, but it felt good.  Actually, to be honest, it was tough and felt a bit awkward, but it’s just a matter of time and patience before I get back into it.  Over the next couple of weeks, while I’m on vacation for the Christmas holidays, I’m going to try to run most days, increasing my distance and time a bit each day.  I’m excited for this and think it will help me get back on track with my transition goals, and in deeper touch with my inner self.