I want to go back to basics today, friends. What is the most basic form of exercise that you can think of? Running. It requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. It makes you sweat, makes your legs (and arms, depending on how vigorous of an arm-pumper you are) feel sore, makes your breath come quick.
I have not always enjoyed running but for whatever reason, I’m on a kick right now. For the first time that I can think of, I just went for a run (a night run even! And I had already showered today!) just because I wanted to run. I was restless, I was worried about getting everything done that needed to get done, and so I just went.
The problem I’m running into though (haha look what happened there! I’m hilarious) is that I don’t know where to go. I am slightly tired of running aimlessly out of Willard into town or across campus. I find myself on the same path again and again and as gorgeous as the lakefill is (which it really is… I got a little too introspective on this night run and I swear it almost moved me to tears) I could use something else.
What constitutes the perfect running route for me is a bunch of pretty things in a nice pattern. Pretty house, pretty house, lake, more lake, cute shops in town, back to pretty house. You know? I need major visual entertainment for when my lungs start to freak out that I’m running and not lounging somewhere in the soft grass. I tend to run up Orrington for the pretty houses, cut across past Norris to get to the lakefill, do some loops, and backtrack around Fisk and up Hinman for a while until I can turn into downtown Evanston and finish up at home. It works. But what else have you got for me?
Leave me a comment, or follow me on Twitter and send me a good running route!
Feel-Good Tip of the Week
Make a running playlist. I usually just shuffle and hit “next” a bajillion times but I finally made a playlist (it’s called “GO” in all caps… a girl needs a reminder sometimes…) and it is just too good. I’m sure I’ll get tired of it in a few weeks but then I get to make another one (“KEEP GOING” perhaps?). I filled mine not just with upbeat Top 40s but also songs that have always been go-to mental pick-me-ups. Why should they not be workout pick-me-ups too?