Running

Riding in the car to my in-laws home, I saw a man running towards me on the side of the road and I quickly ducked down. There was nothing special about this man, he wasn't wielding an axe or anything like that. In fact, I didn't even know him. This man running personified a promise I made to myself a few months ago. This fateful day was the day to start race training. Aah! The absolute horror!

If you look at my profile, you'll notice I wryly comment on my passing fancy, trying to stay in shape. Since the birth of my second child, I live with the Herculean task of getting back in shape. Every so often, we hear the horrible tales of parents leaving the hospital with the wrong child. For my two trips to the maternity ward, that was one of my biggest fears. Luckily, for me, I made it out each time with the right child. I seemed, however, to have swapped bodies with someone else. The body I came back with does not believe in the concept of muscle elasticity. The body I came back with is clinging onto all its familiar post pregnancy bulges like a man overboard clutching his lifesaver.

So getting back to the running man on the road, When I saw him running, my picture of my calendar flashed through my mind - Sunday, BEGIN RACE TRAINING! I should have woken up early to exercise, run, and start getting ready for my race. My inherent problem is that I never loved running, EVER. I started running two years ago at the suggestion of my gym instructor and because I had tried everything else with no success. I had to find a way of taming this shrew-like body, so I obliged her and started running.

You know what sucks? Running worked. I lost weight, I looked good and I felt good. Feeling good was nice feeling I had not had in a while. Even though it worked, I still hated running. I loathe waking up, putting on my sneakers and going out to pound the pavement. I don't experience a rush, get the runner's high, or any of the cool physical effects of running. I experience pain, breathlessness, and on occasion when I rush my warm-up a fablous searing side cramp. Because of my highly competitive nature, I train for races because the notion of being in a race and running with other people keeps me going.

Well, you know what I'm going to do tomorrow morning don't you? Tomorrow morning, I'm going to roll out of bed, put on my sneakers and go pound the pavement. I will hate it, pant the whole way, finally come home itchy and sweaty. But I will loose a couple of pounds by the end of the week and since my vanity is what's pushing me along anyway, I'll enjoy fitting comfortably in my clothes again.

So here's to running, the evil necessity of my life!

Joy is a "Work It" contributing writer. Read more about her.