Dramatic Running

Had a good run this evening. I've been having some housing-related frustrations that I won't really elaborate on here, but with school starting in just a couple of weeks, it's gotten me really stressed out. I decided that the best remedy, besides doing expensive things that I would ordinarily do (like go out for food or drinks, or browse around clothing stores), would be to go for a long run.

This of course made me think of all the dramatic running scenes in various movies. I thought this video was pretty cool. It was kind of like me, except I was running to The Grouch and Eligh, I was not in spandex, and I was not in a marathon. Okay, so it wasn't like me at all. I was by the water, though!



Or maybe it was more like this:



(Just wait for it, the song takes like a minute and a half to really start.) Maybe someday I'll have Mr. Gump's endurance.

Anyway, I went on the trail that Mike and I took three days ago. It's really close to my house, and it's flat and relaxing, with a great view of the water. I started running from the same spot. I got a little tired before I'd even made it to our original stopping point, but I just kept slowing my breathing when it got too labored. I kept closing my eyes and breathing, focusing on the music. I pushed through, and the struggle went away. It was easy to keep going. It felt so good. I made it the extra half-mile or so I needed to get to Boulevard Park (which is absolutely beautiful, by the way). I had jogged about 1.4 miles without stopping or even slowing down! This was a new feat in itself. When I slowed upon entering the park, I experienced what I think is the famed "runner's high."

It was basically a headrush that made me smile. My legs felt extremely heavy and exhausted, moreso than when I had been running. But my breathing slowed to normal in just a minute or two, and I felt relieved from the exertion, instead of just fed up and disgusting like I tend to feel after runs. I must be making progress all the time. I felt better about what had been stressing me out, and I was motivated to keep going. I went out for a long, dramatic, "I'm running away from my feelings" movie montage run: 1.4 miles wasn't going to cut it. So I circled the park on a slow walk, pausing at a dedicated bench. Unfortunately the memorial plaque had a damn typo on it (really? You can't get its/it's straight for a commemorative bench?!) so I had to get up quickly. I cannot deny the editor in my bones.

When I'd made the loop of the park, I started up jogging again. I passed a lot more people on the way back than I had on the way to the park. I got to be the jogger passing everyone on the trail! I'm meeting new goals all the time... Without fail, they would all turn their heads back to see me about 2 seconds before I went past. I don't think I imagined a look of congratulations on an older man's face--he seemed to be glad to see a college-age person staying active. I feel like a lot of college students in Bellingham jog or bike or go to the gym on a regular basis, but I was glad for the glance anyway.

I've used the gym at WWU many times, but I don't think I've ever really pushed myself there. Running on an elliptical machine and running outside are two very different things--and ellipticals never get me to break a sweat. They really don't. I'm not sure what it is, but I just can't get a good workout on those things. I never breathe as hard as when I'm really running.

I made it all the way back to my starting point without slowing or stopping as well, making a total of about 2.8 miles run! It's only been 4 hours and I'm already sore, so I hope tomorrow can be a "sit around and do nothing day" as much as possible. Except I need to go to the grocery store. And Value Village's Labor Day sale is on. I did labor pretty hard today, after all.

Happy Labor Day, everyone