Friday, January 29, 2010

Resolution #3: Run

Word of the day: run-ner (noun) A person, animal, or thing that runs, esp. as a racer; a tackle or part of a tackle consisting of a line rove through a single block and fixed at one end. (who knew?)


I want to be a runner.  I have this lovely image of myself jogging along the tree-lined side streets of downtown Toronto on a beautiful springtime Saturday, feeling all fit and athletic and proud of myself. 

Thing is, I'm not a runner at all.  I blame it on my asthma, which might sound lame but I was officially diagnosed with exercise- and environment-induced asthma.  When I was a kid, the environment wreaked the most havoc on my breathing; spring and fall were killer, when all the pollen and weeds and stuff were out full force.  But exercise never seemed much of a problem, probably because I was always riding my bike or jumping rope or skating or swimming or doing whatever seasonal activity seemed appropriate.  Although I do remember that when we had to run in gym class, I was pretty useless.

Nowadays, it's the opposite: even in the middle of a humid, smoggy Toronto summer, I can breath just fine.  Sometimes the damp, chilly winter weather gets to me but that's rare.  It's the exercising that can leave me gasping.  But I still haul my ass onto that elliptical and I recently got myself a Ventalin inhaler, which keeps my airways from closing up when I overdo it.  This means I have no more excuses for not trying to run.

In fact, this past week at the gym I keep saying, "Maybe today I'll hop on the treadmill for a little jog" but then I chicken out.  What if someone sees me?  (Of course they will - it's a big gym.)  What if I look silly?  (Really, who cares?)  What if I fall down gasping for air?  (Well, then people will see me and think I look silly but if I take a pull on the inhaler, all should be good.)  So I'm going to try.

This is one resolution that I might actually get to before April 1.

Resolution #3: Stop running from the idea of running.  (Heh, pun.  I'm awesome.)

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