For years I had dismissed running, mostly I’ll admit now,
because I’m lazy. Who wants to run when
you can sleep an extra hour? I made a lot of excuses. I can’t
find a good sports bra. I have bad
knees. I don’t have time. Then, in October, my husband ran his
first 5k. Watching him, a man whose
favorite exercise was walking to the fridge to get a beer and back to the
computer for another match, complete his first 5k was pretty damn inspiring. As he crossed the finish line, I vowed the
next time, I would be by his side.
So, I started running.
Now I love it. I couldn’t imagine
my life without it. Especially because
of my writing. There is something
magical that happens on a run. My mind
unknots, and my muse is allowed to play.
Working the body is as important as working the mind. At least for me it is. After a run, I come to the computer refreshed
with plot issues resolved.
This summer, however, is kicking my ass. Texas heat is NOT something you willingly run
in. At least, I don’t. If I’m not up and out by six A.M., forget
it. I have tried to run on the
treadmill. I hate it. I can run two and a half miles with ease on
the road, but in the gym, I peter out at a mile. No amount of creative visualization
helps.
Yet, runners are still everywhere. And aside from the occasional hot-bodied
shirtless runner, I never paid much attention to them. That is, until I started running. Now, I find myself looking at people’s
strides. I know every runner who lives
in my neighborhood. Not personally, mind
you, but after months of running and waving as you pass them, you develop a
certain respect and an unspoken camaraderie.
There is one guy in particular that is the most dedicated
runner I have ever seen in my life. He
isn’t pretty to look at. He does not stride like a gazelle on the Savanna. In fact, I am always afraid he is going to
trip over his own large feet. Sweat is
always pouring down his face, even in winter.
And I admire this guy tremendously.
Why? Because rain, shine, cold,
or hot, this guy is running. He is
running everyday at two in the afternoon.
That’s right. July in Texas 100+
degrees, and this guy is out running at the hottest point in the day. At first, I just thought he was one stupid
SOB. You could not pay me enough money to
run at that time of day. Not in Texas.
But on Monday, as I crawled out of bed sniffling with the
remnants of a summer cold and sat at my computer, I thought of my loping
runnerman. I didn’t want to write. I wanted to go straight back to bed and snuggle
under the covers. But my sweaty
runnerman, wouldn’t do that. He would
get out at the hottest point of the day and run.
It takes dedication.
It takes balls of steel. It takes
a bit of stupidity.
He made me realize something. Something I already knew but hadn’t pieced
together. Writing, running, it’s all the same.
To succeed in either, it takes commitment.
I used to only write when my illustrious muse demanded
it. That was before I wrote my
novel. If I had waited on that girl to
get it together, I would have never finished my book. She is far too fickle. I have to give her some rules. She still argues with me, but I write. Every day.
Come rain or shine. I have to
keep up my writer’s stride. Keep my girl
in practice. Improve her pace. Build up her endurance. Because I am in this for the long haul.