Running Away From Problems
Hello! This will be a slightly shorter post since there isn't too much to talk about... As I discussed in my previous post, I've been taking a few extra measures to take care of myself, mentally and physically. While I had been practicing more mental health exercises, I realized that I was missing... normal exercises? I felt like if I really wanted to dedicate the next few weeks towards self-improvement, I'd have to start doing a dreaded activity... working out.
I decided to start running more often since it's always been the type of exercise I respect the most (and think is the most useful). While it's nice to lift and stuff, improving my stamina and endurance through running felt the most attractive to me, and it also came with the benefit of not costing a dime! Plus, going on runs or walks everyday would be a nice excuse to spend time outside every day, listening to music, and staying off screens.
The first day was ROUGH. I didn't really have any specific place I wanted to run, but I soon realized that there were two requirements that I wanted my running space to have: privacy and straightness. Privacy feels pretty self-explanatory, I don't really like being a sweaty mess in front of other people, and my time to work out alone felt very personal and intimate for me (in a weird way?). Staying away from other people was important, but as I soon realized after running a few laps around the Regional Park, I really didn't enjoy running in circles. Something about being so repetitive and seeing the same environment over and over bothered me.
Next I tried out the trail behind Regional, which was uneven, messy, and ran through a swamp.... but at least it was a straight line and private right? Bad idea. I ran a mile, got really tired and thirsty, then realized I had no option but to run back in order to get water and rest. On the way back, I was so tired that I didn't pay attention and I nearly twisted my ankle in a hole, in the middle of nowhere. After that sobering near-miss, I decided to swallow my pride and walk back to my car and go home.
The last few tracks I've tried have all been successes. The one I frequent the most is a closed off road where I used to film my old AICE Media assignments back in junior year, and aside from the bug population, it's perfect for me! The entire road, from one end to another, is roughly 0.9 miles, so simply running from the entrance and back means I ran two miles! I usually do two laps of the trail, which ends with me very sweaty, very thirsty, but having accomplished 4 miles of running each day! Which is insane to think about since I would barely exercise a few weeks ago. On rainy days (or days where I'm not feeling my best) I opt to walk instead of run, and I walk around my neighborhood, to the nearest Publix, and then back home around a park, rounding up to about 3 miles of walking on my "lazy days".
Ever since starting, I've lost over 10 pounds, felt better, improved my stamina and endurance, and overall added an extra daily activity to busy myself with every day! It's nice having something to consistently work at, and hopefully I'll start to see even more positive results come in as each week passes!
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