The Reluctant Runner
Laced up and ready to go!
I don’t love running. Even though I’ve been doing it for over 35 years, ever since my friend Sue, whom I met skiing in the singles line at Sunshine Mountain in western Canada, dragged me reluctantly to a local track to join her for a few laps.
In fact until my late twenties athletics was something I studiously ignored. I grew up the third of six siblings. None of us showed any aptitude for sports, in fact we were labelled by my parents as “un-athletic.” So when I was the last to be chosen for the baseball team at school I accepted that sports just wasn’t my forté.
Eventually I discovered tennis, and found that with a lot of practise I could actually hit the ball. And it was fun! I joined a club and took weekly lessons to improve my technique.
When I moved to Calgary, Alberta how could I not take advantage of the excellent skiing in the Rocky Mountains? Skiing, it turns out, is a sport. And yes, I could do it!
So, with Sue’s prodding I somehow continued to lace up the sneakers and head out for short jogs. I enjoyed being outdoors and was proud of the little increments in duration of my runs.
I also discovered that running allowed me to eat pretty much what I wanted and keep my weight constant over the years.
That’s how I now find myself running a couple of miles two or three times a week in my seventies. It has become second nature for me, and in the winter when it’s too icy I really miss the exercise.
I may not love running, but I’m ever so grateful to my buddy Sue for introducing me to it. Besides, it’s inexpensive and you can do it anywhere. What’s not to love?
