Welcome to the next installment of the Spanking A – Z Blog Challenge.
Today’s letter, “E” is about one of my favorite things!
Exercise
I am a runner. I absolutely love running!
Competing is my favorite, though.
There is nothing quite as awesome as the thrill and anticipation while waiting on the starting line for the gun to go off.
The cool thing about long distance running, is the individual component. No one else can dictate your race. Your overall time is measured by your performance, your will, and your body’s physical ability to push through the discomfort. It’s all you.
The cool thing about training is the different environments available to you. If you want to socialize, run with a friend or a group of friends. If you want to catch up on your reading or a favorite TV show, run on the treadmill. If you want some alone time to refresh, rejuvenate, and just let your mind wander, run alone. (Ok, PSA time. Running alone, before sunrise can be dangerous. Please be careful. And wear identification)
Some of my best blog ideas and story ideas, have come during a relaxing solo run. My mind wanders freely, and I am in a natural state of peace.
My favorite place to train, when I was competing, was the college trails. These dirt trails in the middle of a nature preserve, gave me the perfect location for calm reflection; and it was a lot easier on my knees. 🙂
There were a few snakes though. If you ever want to see a 5’2 woman scream and do an Olympic medal worthy triple jump, just watch me almost stride over a 4 foot long black snake.
Yikes!
I haven’t been out to the trails in a while. It takes time to drive over. But that’s the great thing about running.
All you need is running shoes. You can do it pretty much anywhere.
So most of my runs lately, have been done from my front door, looped around the neighborhood.
It gives me exactly what I need.
Fresh air
Sunshine
Alone time
Small bits of human interaction
A great endorphin release. (I get very crabby when I don’t get some sort of exercise)
The neighbors seem to like it as well.
One man with a young child called out,
“Hi. You’ve got great form.”
LOL, I knew that wasn’t a come on. I do, in fact, have pretty great form (relaxed shoulders, head up, knees lifted, a quick short economical stride, chest out…. ) 🙂
My neighbor’s husband actually stopped the car, (with family along) to chat for a moment, and casually tell me how good those colors looked on me.
(Once again, not a come on. I was wearing an awesome shade of blue for my matching jog bra and shorts.) 🙂
Anyway, the point I am making is exercise is not only fun and useful for me, it is beneficial for my physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
And running will always be my exercise of choice.
I am, and will always be a runner. (Hopefully, my body will let me continue to do so. If not, I will walk as fast as my body will allow.)
Thanks for joining me today.
Please hop on over and see what the other awesome bloggers have to say.
Here’s the link to follow:
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
LOL about the snake! It doesn’t need to be a 4′ black snake. For me, outside of a cage, it could be a 4″ garter snake.
I hate jogging, but a do love to swim and it does for me emotionally and spiritually what it seems to do for you. 🙂 Kindred spirits.
LOL, Maren. Spiders doe the same thing to me 🙂
Happy swimming:)
Thanks!
EXERCISE? Blech, I’m not sure we can be friends. LOL. I like to walk, very quickly. I think it has something to do with growing up and trying to keep up with my much taller siblings. Like you all my 5′ 2″ height is in my legs, so moving fast is easy *wink*. But running? No way. Although hearing ” nice form’ would be nice, for any reason. I’m not gonna lie!
LOL, Willie! Do you do the funny arm thing where they pump back and forth really fast while speed waking. 🙂 That always cracks me up to see.
Thanks 🙂
Dear Lord NO! Power lifting my wine glass is enough exercise for my arms!
I knew I liked you!
about to open my merlot 🙂
Good for you. I’m jealous that you actually like exercise.
LOL, Leigh, thanks! 😉
That is how I feel about skating. But I cannot run! You definitely have to be the right type of person to be a runner. I have to trick myself into exercising and really the whole time I am just thinking about beer and cheeseburgers.
Love the pic!
LOL, Casey. I have some great thoughts about wine and chocolate.
I love listening to your skating stories!
🙂
Sounds like you have a healthy attitude. Me, not so much. I just ordered a Fit Desk, hoping to at least peddle my way to better shape.
Cool beans, Stevie. Sounds like fun! 🙂
Thanks!
And good luck 🙂
I am trying the running thing but I really hate to run. I play on the softball league at work and I thought that I needed to be a little prepared to run around the bases if I can get on base that is lol. I hate snakes too but I turn and go the other way fast. Unless I am at work and the snake is in the doorway then I jump on the counter.
LOL, Shelly! You do high jump, I do triple jump.
I bet you would run the bases faster if there was a snake at short stop!
🙂
Bleh, all this snake talk if starting to give the willies
🙂
AND– (since you omitted the shameless self promo plug) you have an AWESOME running book coming out!!
OMG, how did I forget that!??
LOL, thanks Renee. 🙂
I need to find a post to use a character or two.
Thanks!!
🙂
Not me, I hate running. And my knee replacements wouldn’t last as long if I pounded on them everyday. But I love swimming. All summer long I swim a half mile every morning in my pool. When I have time, I’ll do a whole mile. In the winter I do the treadmill desk thing so I can write while exercising. I don’t like walking either, but since I can write at the same time (with Dragon) I do it.
That is awesome, Holla!
LOL, I’m still getting used to swimming, and am lucky to get in 50m before I have to take a break. It’s the not breathing part that gets me. I’m not very good without the constant availability of oxygen. 🙂
Thanks!
I love to exercise. It makes me feel like I did something just for myself. I wish I liked to run, but I’m more of a biker. I wear Ariat Fat babies all the time so I need an exercise that I can wear my boots all the time because tennis shoes kill my feet. So, I’m the hick on the bike with ropers on:))) I would however run like HELL if I saw a snake or spider of any kind. YUCK!
We’d make a great pair, Rhonda. 🙂 I wear my Corchorans while I mow the lawn. 🙂
The spider / snake thing seems to be a consensus here. 🙂
I don’t run, but I do walk. And it is great for generating idea. I do a lot of story plotting while walking. Athletic shoes should be tax deductible for authors, right?!
Great idea, Cara! Do we know any lawyers who can help us work it out?
What do you with your ideas when mid – walk? I have the same issue when running, and sometimes rush home to get it all down. (I still forget some, though 🙂 )
Thanks!
Im glad my post today on Empaths could help. I can’t wait till I can get the okay from doc so I can start back up my exercise and hopefully do a few races myself before the end of the year. If your interested on my top link that says challenges I have a thing for 5k virtual races listed.