How Running Became Fun

I had never seen the sense in running--during all my childraising years, I was so exhausted at the end of the day, I could not see the sense in expending more energy unnecessarily.

But now, of course, it was different. First of all, because other than my evening-shift 8-hour-a-day job, I had no other obligations, and my weekends were my own. The question now was how to fill them profitably.

One weekend, a friend invited me to a race he was running. I went to cheer him on, and the truth was it looked like fun. The next time he entered a race, I signed up for the 5 k. After that I began to participate regularly in 5 k's and 10 k's. I loved it! It was more than just running. There was the whole race ambiance, meeting other runners, the excitement of the starting gun, the tension of the competition--to see who I could pass or who was passing me--, the euphoric feeling that comes with exertion, the sense of satisfaction at the end, and then the after-race browsing at the booths or local shops, and a well-deserved brunch. It was all extremely enjoyable and rewarding, and my fitness was improving!

With best wishes for a long and healthy life,

The Jogging Grandma

P.S. When you're ready to start strength training, you might want to check this out!