In days gone by, I used to run, a lot. Like I did a few 1/2 marathons and a full marathon (I finished in a slow 5 hours, 5 minutes). I loved it because it was so peaceful, I could do it outside in any season or weather condition and it made me feel really good. I’m kind of convinced that the runner’s high people speak of is actually a real thing. I only quit about 4 years ago because I had a bad case of plantar fascitiis (which was only cured by a night splint
and not running, by the way).
I’ve been hanging out lately with a couple people who run and it reminded me of how much I used to love it and so I’ve started up again. It was actually far less torturous than I thought and it’s like I somehow still have that muscle memory and the mental toughness to just keep running even though it’s hard.
The runner’s high makes me happy, but I also feel happy because I think running is perhaps the ultimate frugal exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes and I’m sure you have plenty of old exercise clothes in your closet already. No gym membership fees. No expensive, specialized equipment that takes up lots of space. It’s so simple. You can do it anywhere, alone or with a friend.
