Pinkety Pink

 

As all four of my loyal readers have no doubt already figured out, I recently began RUNNING. That's right, RUNNING.

I have to explain my history with running. When I was a kid, my parents were runners. They ran all the time. They actually ran marathons. And as you may know from your own experience, when your parents are passionate about something, it can get rather annoying, particularly if they want you to get your roly poly arse off the couch to do it as well. As any of you who have read my Accidental Athlete post will be able to figure out, I rebelled against this idea and instead spent all my free time with my nose in a book. In fact, the more they talked about running and tried to get me to run, the more I dug my heels in.

Needless to say, I have subsequently had a somewhat unfair hatred of running. But since, for the most part, I'm a reasonable human being, I spent quite a bit of time examining this issue so I could look at running in a way that's not jaded by my past experiences. And I ultimately came to the conclusion that running is a smart option for me. Here's some of what went into that decision:

• Everyone else is doing it—That might not always be the best criteria for making a decision. However, in this case, I think it's okay. A lot of cyclists I know personally or through the blogosphere have taken up running for cross training purposes and it seems to be working well for them. Alaska Jill has been known to do it. Fat Cyclist has taken it up. Even those a little closer to home like Ali and Marty have been doing it.
• It's good exercise—This isn't actually my first foray into running. Several years ago, when one of my friends took charge of my training plan, he suggested I try it, the reason being that it's better for burning calories than riding. That way, when I was riding I could concentrate on my riding skills and actual training, rather than having to rely on it for exercise. And I have to say, during this time I was probably in the best shape I've ever been.
• Running is efficient—I've often felt jealous of my friend the Dorktor. He's a runner, see, and in less than an hour he can be out the door, run seven miles or so and be finished. I don't know how many times I've opted not to do ANY exercise because I knew I didn't have time to load up my bike, drive to a trail and ride.
• Variety is the spice of life—Cliched, but true nonetheless.

So, at this point I have been running for three and a half weeks and it's the only thing I've really been doing consistently (gasp!). It's about time for a progress report and some goal setting. That doesn't mean this is going to turn into a running blog, but the topic will figure prominently in some upcoming posts.