I have this weird yearly cycle I’ve been stuck on for the past decade or so where I’ll get in good running shape around late Spring, run throughout the Summer and Fall, and then completely let myself go in Winter because I can’t stand running in the cold. I enjoy running a lot, but I absolutely hate sucking down cold air, getting home with painfully numb ears, and the inevitable joint pain that comes with low temperature running. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to keep up my cardio during the winter because of how much I hate the cold. The only thing I hate more is a treadmill. Unfortunately, this means that once I year I have to regain all that progress I lost, which is absolute torture. Last week I decided it was about time to get in shape again, so I started running regularly. It always starts slow with a half mile run, then a mile, then I start going for longer routes. Usually I end up running about 3 – 5 miles every other day when I get in shape. I’ve always been satisfied with that distance because running much further is kind of waste of time in my opinion. That was, until this year.
I have plenty of time on my hands now, and I think I want to try running for longer distances. I realized on my last run that it’s a great time to think through plot holes, character building, and other issues while also getting a good workout in. If I can make the meditative act of running work for me as a writer, then why bother sitting around the house thinking about that stuff when I could do it on the go?
This comes with a lot of problems though. Further than five miles starts to become kinda dangerous. Dehydration, muscle cramps, joint and muscle strain, severe fatigue that leaves you stranded … this is when running gets worrisome. There are also the big issues like heat stroke, or simply getting splattered by a careless driver. I’ve never really had to deal with those issues before because I always stick to short routes that are near my house with full sidewalks. I’ve taken some time to map out nice loops complete with sidewalks, but solving those other issues is more difficult. Do I carry a water bottle with me? That’s annoying, but I guess I’d get used to it. If so, what if it runs out and then I just have dead weight to lug along? I’d like to carry my phone for emergencies too, but that’s also dead weight I have to store somewhere. I could run with a backpack, but that’s even more dead weight and presents a bunch of problems of its own like skin lesions from repetitive motion. I guess I could buy (ugh) a fanny pack. Or one of those things you wrap around one arm. As for water, I might be able to plan a route around water fountains, but then if I get there and the fountain is out of service, I’m up a creek.
I’m only a week in , so I guess I don’t have to consider all this yet. No way I’m running more than my standard routes quite yet, I’m still huffing and puffing by the first mile. I do hope I can make this another tool to improve my writing though. Many authors find they do their best work in motion. One famous sci-fi author Kevin J Anderson even does all his writing during his walks by using text to speech software. That sounds a little too far for me, but I can certainly see myself benefiting from some note taking on the go. Maybe that fanny pack will be a necessity after all …
Thank you for reading,
Benjamin Hawley