ikilledit

2. Why did you continue to run?

Why running and not a gym? Two reasons: 1- Because gym memberships cost money. 2- I’ve discovered that I’m someone who prefers the silent road more than a loud gym filled with many people.

1 - I couldn’t really afford any of the gym memberships in my area and thinking on past experiences with gym memberships I’ve signed up for, I only attempt to work out the first month and then I stop going. Much of it has to do with being intimidated by other gym people/machines. I worry that I’ll use a machine incorrectly or look stupid doing something that I shouldn’t. The brilliance of running is that everyone knows how to do it. Sure, there are some techniques that you can improve upon but the body’s natural mechanics will tell you all you need to know and it does most of the work for you. 

2- When I first started out, I was a bit ashamed to work out in public. I worried about all that excess weight jiggling and shaking. So I started the Couch to 5K program by running in the evenings behind my house at an empty baseball park. No one around to watch me fail at running. I could do things at my own pace and not worry about people staring or laughing at that chubby brown guy who is trying to run. 

I hated running growing up. Hated it in elementary school. Hated running laps when I was on Varsity Tennis. But, something just clicked. I’ve noticed that many people seem to catch the running bug around the age of thirty. Probably a combination of things: getting older, realizing your body is not immortal, needing a half hour out of your day to get away from everyone and every thing.