Running?

I've never been a runner. For far too long in my life, I've lived by the mantra, "Why run when you could walk? Why walk when you could stand still? Why stand still when you could sit?"...You get the picture.

In spite of my sedentary adulthood, as a teenager I enjoyed participating in team sports: softball and volleyball (mostly because girls weren't given any other options). While I wasn't a gifted athlete, I was a great teammate, and was often elected team captain. In fact, the summer before I entered high school I played on three softball teams simultaneously: a town team, my school team and my church team. (Yes, I did attend church once upon a time.) As soon as I learned to drive, however, sports dried up for me.

Nowadays, I regret that I never kept up an active life and I am trying to make up for it. Initially exercise started as purely a health requirement - something to do because I must. But after a couple of years, I grudgingly must admit that I feel better after a workout and sometimes even like it (especially when I swim). It's not that I do a lot...but I do at least an hour of aerobic exercise three times a week, and do a Pilates class at work during my lunch hour once a week. Along with eating more healthy food, I'm gradually turning things around in spite of my aging body.

Every once in a while, you need a dose of inspiration to keep you moving, and I got one just when I needed it. Last week I was walking at a pretty good clip around the track when I noticed a woman running ahead of me. She wasn't young - I would guess late 60's, early 70s. But, she was running. *gulp*

It made me think: will I ever run again? Can I even run? I thought how sad it would be if I started to stop doing things. What other experiences have I given up, I wondered? And isn't it time to double-check that I'm not becoming totally decrepit? So, at some point, I've resolved to run again - even if it's for short spurts over short distances.

Here's my message for fellow middle-agers: it's time to stop stopping...and start living.