Running Revelations

It’s no secret that running is my number one form of exercise. It requires the least amount of knowledge; no reps, no weight, no real form required, you just kind of GO. Of course, it can be more intricate than that but on the surface it’s pretty cut and dry, “one foot in front of the other, accelerate.” What no one knows is that I secretly hate it! There, I said it! I’ve been outted. 

First, there are the physical setbacks. I run out of breath, I have bad knees, my hips are tight, these shoes give me a blister. Ouch. I learned from my favorite running buddy that all of those things could be conquered, though. You have a stitch in your side? Run through it. You have a cramp in your calf? Run through it. You can’t breath? Run through it. You’re having a heart attack? Run through it…. just kidding on that last bit. Essentially, there is no thing that cannot be conquered by simply running through it. Scoff if you will at the simplicity of saying it and the undoubted difficulty of execution, but next time you’re out on a run, just try it. Like Buffalo in the rain, just run until the storm is over. 

It’s the mental aspect of a run that truly gets me. I worry that the people in their cars or running on the road across from me will judge me. I get in my own head about whether my gait is an appropriate width or my foot strike is too loud or my clothes fit right. Am I going fast enough? Will I complete this run in an amount of time that will impress people? It’s a self-conscious absurdity that holds me back from really enjoying my runs – sometimes it even prevents me from going. I feel there is a parallel to my life that can be made here, but I think I’ll coast past it for now. On top of all that, I get bored! I have crap music on my iPod. I’ve tried pod casts, which can be entertaining but only for so long before I need a blast of Breaking Benjamin, Brad Paisley or Bieber – really any kind of power song to help conquer a hill and the feeling of quit creeping into my mind. Well, I may have found my solution!

As I run each city, the underlying motivation is that I need to work out as I drive, eat and drink my way through the southeast, but in the forefront I want to explore these cities. I want to see if they are places I can see myself living. The goal on each run has evolved from being a chore (I promised myself I would run at each stop) to a chance to see a new place. I’ve slowly mastered my Map My Run App and my “I totally belong here” face and with each run I get a little more adventurous and get to see a little more of the current city than the one before. 

Today, I ran down St. Charles with its historic mansions and trolley stops, it felt like the heart of New Orleans. I wanted to run at least four miles today and I knew there was a park near Loyola and Tulane’s campuses on St. Charles, so I set out toward it. I have thrown shame and embarrassment to the wind with this trip, so I have no issues stopping to take pictures of street signs and quintessential houses. With no concern for what it might make me look like or what it might do to the time on my run. 

Audobon Park

I took at least 20 photos of 6.7 miles of New Orleans today. It was so much fun. I enjoyed my run. By the end of it, I had traveled 6.7 miles (a Personal Record by half a mile) in a city I hardly knew. I had seen some beautiful houses and scenery. I was nearly swallowed by a row of boutiques on Magazine. 

house from the park's running path

They tried to eat me. It was all I had in me to keep running without entering them. I ran past my turn  home on purpose. I paused to stretch. I shouted expletives at the pain in my knees. I slowed down at street corners in spite of the “walk” sign flashing, but I did it. I went. I saw. I conquered.

quintessntial NOLA house

The explorer in me has taken the place of the insecure, ADD runner. The purpose of a run now isn’t to impress anyone. It isn’t to finish within a certain time or at a certain pace – though those things are nice to keep track of in order to measure improvement – but each run is about me and my connection with a city. Each run is about a personal adventure. And though I’m here writing about it, it’s not about an audience it’s about me. Self-growth and confidence. Today’s run was a beautiful one and not just because of the scenery!

Tomorrow I run to MTV’s Real World House!