A Little Part of My Real Everyday Life

The entrance to Komazawa Park.

Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. We can have a long in-depth conversation about that sometime if you're interested. Anyway I do need to be careful here because as everyone knows.. money can just "slip through your fingers" rather easily. One money trap I decided to avoid this year is the dangerous one called Joining the Gym. I'm not much of a gym person anyway but have joined so many different ones over the years.. however, when everyone was jumping to join, I held strong and stayed away. Instead I decided to learn to run. It's practically free! I haven't ever been much of a runner but I started the Couch to 5K program and stuck to it. Then I did the Ease into 10K and finished that one too. Now I just run around and around. I am blessed to live less than 1km from a beautiful park with a 2km running track all through it. Not a bad way to start the day.

I wrote this for something else but thought I'd post it here too:

RUNNING FREAKS!

"So are you one of those running freaks now too?" my somewhat cynical but well-meaning friend asked me yesterday. She was referring to the fact that many of our mutual friends have taken up the activity and are now very much promoting their new sport in rather egocentric and irritating ways that take up most of our facebook newsfeeds.

"Only sort of," I replied, unsure of what was the actual correct response to such a question and starting to feel somewhat guilty for posting the latest nike ad. "I mean, I do run a lot now but it's more so I can eat cupcakes and less because I'm a.. freak."

"Well I can think of less painful ways to justify cupcakes," she said with an almost defensive smirk. She then went on to justify her anti-running angst, "It just seems like no one really likes running. I've never seen a runner smiling. It looks like absolutely no fun, yet everyone seems to somehow get addicted to it."

She makes a valid point. It's true. When I think about it, I don't like running. I don't think I smile when I run, unless something funny floats into my brain but it's definitely not because I'm running. I actually kind of hate running when it's happening, some days more than others.. yet I continue to do it... because I guess it IS rather addictive. But what a strange activity.. not the least bit enjoyable while it's going on but truly delightful when it's finished.

I started to think about why in the world I do such a thing when I hate it so much. I think it's largely due to being addicted to how I feel when it's over. I am addicted to the high I get from knowing I just ran further or faster than I ever have before. I'm addicted to how good it feels to stretch out sore legs. I'm addicted to that feeling of coming in the door after 45 minutes pounding the pavement and knowing that a hot shower and a cup of coffee are only moments away. I'm addicted to laying on the floor with my legs up against the wall and breathing a sigh of relief that it's done for another week. Again... how odd!

In a similar sort of conversation I was giving someone a hard time for falling off of his running plan. Yes I know.. smug much? I was saying some junk about how running is fun and he called me out and said it definitely wasn't fun and that it's the kind of thing that you hate for the whole time. I tried to argue that after the first 20 minutes it gets almost enjoyable but.. well that was a bit of a stretch. Well, I guess that part is a little bit true. Personally, once I get through the first 20 torturous minutes.. my body realizes that my brain is going to win this time and accepts the fact that it's in for at least 20-40 more minutes of torture and then somehow it does actually get a bit easier.. a bit ...but maybe that's just me... and promising someone that after 20 minutes of pure pain a certain less painful but still painful numbness will take over doesn't really pad my case that running is the way to go..

So I continue to ask.. why do I run? Why do I keep doing this totally painful, largely non-enjoyable activity?

Well...

I like how it works so much of my body.
I like how other than needing shoes and an iPod it's pretty much free!
I like how I can zone out and just listen to my music and move move move
I like how for me, it's not really weather dependent. I happen to have a nice rain jacket and highly waterproof skin.
I like how for me, being able to run is the definition of being fit. Never could I ever do this before.
I like how every day I get a little bit better at it. Progress is encouraging.
I like how it wakes me up in the morning better than any shower ever could.
I like how it feels when I get into a groove.
I like how I get to see the sun rise every morning when I'm out there.
I like that I can notice the change in seasons because.. there's not a lot else to notice.
I like what it's doing to my legs.
.. and the list goes on.

I would say that at the end of the day.. the point is that the good things associated and connected with running far outweigh the painful parts of it.

So while I would still hesitate to label myself as a hardcore "runner".. I think that maybe I am actually turning into one of those ... running freaks.

Anyway that's what I'm up to these days!