5/18/2015

Running

I often feel as though I'm running ... running away from things, running just to keep up with everyone else, and sometimes (when I'm at my best) running towards something.

Normally, for me, running is a metaphor. 

I don't generally like running for exercise, and people my size cause upset when seen running ... people generally assume something is chasing me, and they start running too. 

I have been known to cause stampedes.

Starting this weekend though, I began to actually run, to improve my health and wind and strength and speed ... not a difficult task given my starting point.


I'm using an iPhone app that mixes an interactive storyline with my music to hold my interest and keep me going ... this helps because I find running to be both boring and painful otherwise.

It's been fun so far, and I'm hoping that I can push through the initial sofa-slug and ouchy-thighs stage with the help of zombies that want to eat my tasty, tasty brains.


I'm a big fan of zombies in films and stories, and my running program and I are relying on that love and fear and fascination to keep me running ... that and beat-tastic music that keeps me moving during my own personal chase scenes.

It's not entirely unlike this ... (note: you only need to watch the first 15 seconds or so to get the idea)





THE POINT?

The reason for my inclusion of this post in my blog is that I'm running ... running towards a slightly different me:

  • a me that can climb stairs without huffing and puffing as though I'm trying to blow someone's house down
  • a me that lives long enough to write down all the stories banging around in my head
  • a me who can be more comfortable sitting down to write for hours at a time without getting a sore back
  • and, of course, a me that can easily outrun a hungry horde of medula-munching zombies in the inevitable zombocalypse

It's been slow going in the first few days, but I want to keep going for the above reasons ... as well as one other, unexpected benefit.

When I get back from a run, collapsing into my comfy reading chair with a cold drink, I find my exercise-oxygenated brain full of new ideas for stories and/or approaches to the stories I'm already working on. 

The combination of exertion and sweating and breathing hard and running to exhaustion seems to create a new/different type of creative sweet spot, at least for me.

I'm going to keep running, for a variety of reasons, and towards a variety of things.

Thanks,

Jamie


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