it’s been a couple of months since I first tried running. Was it worth it?
At first, there was the benefit of doing it in company. I ran with various members of my family over those first couple of weeks. So, that was nice, and the company made me forget I was bored and miserable. After that, I needed some other distraction. Finding headphones that fit was an adventure in itself. I read many articles on top ten headphones for running until finally deciding that maybe the reasons my EarPods kept falling out was because they were the wrong size. Who’d have thought, I have XXS ear canals? Since upgrading to get a better fit, I now wear them for walks and for running, which has been a game changer. At some point I hope to transition to improving educational podcasts, but at the moment I’ve just been listening to pop music. And you know, today’s music is not so bad. It doesn’t take long to recognise some of the songs. The other day I heard the music my son was playing as he was doing the housework (if there’s a better hobby for any housemate to take up than this, I’d like to hear it). It was all Elton John and Queen. “What do you think of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half time show?” I asked. “Who’s she?” He replied. Am I more hip than my own offspring?? Actually, probably not, as I expect the word ‘hip’ will tell you. In any event, it’s fun to have another source of modern culture than just The New York Times and The Guardian. So, the EarPods definitely count as a benefit of my running hobby. What else did I spend money on? Oh yes, a very cute pair of black running shorts, the sort with a visible liner which would have looked very odd to me even a few months ago. Not only that, they are several inches shorted than anything I’d have been seen out and about in for a number of years. What can I tell you, I tried buying longer ones but it’s difficult to find anything you can put your phone in without it bouncing around very annoyingly. Yes, I could leave my phone behind, but what about Strava? If it hasn’t been recorded, has it even happened? I think I’m even backed up by science on that one: outcomes must be measured.
Last but not least, there are my new expensive supercushiony running shoes that I love, not least because they annoy Simon so much.
Note I haven’t said anything about any health benefits, because to be honest, I haven’t seen any improvements in that at all. To be fair, I hurt my ankle on a run with Simon a couple of weeks ago, so that I couldn’t even walk without a limp, and that would have put my brief running career as a definite net loss. But, it’s felt much better over the last week, and I’ve even been for another couple of runs. One of my daughters discovered that Goofy is actually an excellent running companion when she was dog sitting recently, and so I’ve taken her with me the last two times. It’s been great. It’s true, she looked suspiciously like she was trying to hide when I put my running clothes on this morning, but when it came time to head off, she joined me with no hint of reluctance.
With new shoes, new shorts, new EarPods, no ankle pain, and a happy dog, maybe running is my new healthy hobby. On the other hand, I tried tennis the other day, and that was actually fun, so we’ll see.