Run...for Fun?

My mother runs an obscene amount. If her body and schedule would allow it, I'm pretty sure she'd run at least 10 miles a day. She is also 5'3" and blonde. Clearly, I didn't get a whole lot of her genes. Once I open my mouth and wave my hands around, however, it's obvious that I am my mother's daughter. People say our mannerisms and inflections are undeniably familial.

But back to the running thing. My relationship with running is simple: I don't do it. Sometimes I like to blame my mom for this- not because she could've controlled my inheritance of her cardio addiction, rather because I never joined a sports team as a result of a punishment. Basically, I cocked an attitude just a few days before volleyball tryouts in 8th grade, so my mom said, "That's it! You're not trying out for volleyball!" The punishment was definitely severe, considering how I'd practiced bumps and hits with my older brother (Varsity volleyball player) for weeks leading up to the try out. But I also think that between my horseback riding, community theatre, and private vocal lessons, my mom just didn't want to drive me to yet another extracurricular activity. Either way, I never got in the habit of working out in a gym or going on runs because I was never part of an athletic team. Don't worry, Mom, you're still the best.

When I say that "I don't do it," I don't mean that I've never done it. Obviously, I had to run the mile every year in gym class. In 5th grade, I was really smart and thought that the higher your time, the better you were (aren't higher/bigger numbers always better?). I was the BEST in the class. Five years later, I ran an 8:30 mile in sophomore P.E. and decided that there was no point in imagining I'd ever do much better. So I stopped taking P.E. and instead practiced jazz square combinations in the auditorium anytime I felt the need for physical activity.

Mom and me after the 2007 Alumni 5K

My sophomore year of college, I tried to become "a runner" in order to prepare for my first pageant. I'm not sure what being "a runner" denotes, but I decided it meant that you run in races once in a while and always look athletically cute in white sneakers and colorful shorts. I finished the CNU Alumni 5K in October 2007, but found that my feet hated this idea of suddenly pounding against pavement for 30 minutes a day. Thirty minutes doesn't sound like much, I know, but keep in mind that the popular girl told me that I run slower than her pet hamster when I was 10. Just getting me to run around the block was pulling teeth after that low blow. Anyways, the arches of my feet really suffered from consistent running for three months. On the worst day, I couldn't even walk because the pain was too much to bear (and I have a normal-to-high tolerance for pain). From that point forward, the elliptical became my best friend.

This past Christmas, Santa brought me new running shoes with special arch support. I haven't run regularly since 2007, but in the past few weeks have decided to see if the new shoes could bring out that recessive running gene that must be hiding in me somewhere. Surprisingly, my arches have been holding up quite nicely. I started with my normal 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by a mile on the treadmill to test how my feet would react. A few weeks of consistent running have gone smoothly, so today I forwent the elliptical entirely in order to run on the treadmill for a full 45 minutes! I've also been running around the reservoir in Central Park. Three miles is a breeze, so for the first time ever, I think I can start training for a half marathon without having to resort back to the elliptical due to feet complications! Or at least a 10K...

So, does this mean I'm now a "runner"? No. Maybe I can formerly knight myself with that title if I keep running regularly for at least a year. For now, I'm just the girl who is REALLY excited that she can run for an extended period of time without wanting to die! I am also confident that I can now outrun a pet hamster.

Valentine's Day

I don't hate Valentine's Day. I'm not bitter that I'm single. I have no problem with gushy Facebook statuses or flower stands on every corner. So what if the "industry" uses love as a means to money? Is that really such a terrible thing? Especially in this day and age when everybody is so busy and obsessed with independence, Valentine's Day is a nice little kick in the shins to remind us that it's okay to focus on someone other than ourselves. And a nice little kick to men's shins to remind them that the ladies really do enjoy being wined and dined once in a while. The only thing that bothers me about Valentine's Day is how this holiday somehow makes people feel entitled to scrutinize the relationships, or lack there of, of others.

Everyone claims that if you're confident with being single or secure in your relationship, then you shouldn't get defensive when people question your status. I disagree. Whether rightly or falsely accused, our pride instinctually justifies our circumstances to cynics...and on Valentine's Day, people seem to be cynical of just about any relationship. Singles often proclaim, "Ugh, I would never want to be tied down to a relationship" or "This is just a holiday for Hallmark to make money." People in relationships where they value Valentine's Day often chirp, "Look at that single girl looking so desperate at the bar" or "I'm so lucky to have a [boy/girl]friend who makes me feel special on Valentine's Day." Other couples who don't value Cupid spout, "They're only acting happy because it's Valentine's Day, when in reality their relationship stinks" or "My [boy/girl]friend makes me feel special every day of the year."

Come on. If every one of those statements were true, then the consensus would be that NOBODY is happy and successful in their love lives. Sadly, no matter what your status on Valentine's Day, someone will make you question it with a look, gesture, or subtle remark. Odds are, you unknowingly-or knowingly- make people question theirs, as well. But assumptions about other people's relationships or bachelorism (yep, just invented that word) are pointless and inappropriate. Aside from undeniably unhealthy situations (i.e. ones that generate a lot of crying, moping, fighting, etc.), who are we to think that we understand another person's emotions, motivations, and connections? As discussed in many of my past blog posts about individualism and unique perspectives, we can never see the world through someone else's eyes...and often, if we try to, we're painfully off the mark. A single girl is not necessarily desperate, a girl desperate to be in a relationship is not necessarily insecure, a girl who posts lovey statuses about her perfect boyfriend is not necessarily trying to cover something, and a girl in a relationship who is cynical about Valentine's Day is not necessarily making excuses for an unloving boyfriend. Believe it or not, people can be equally happy while in drastically different stages or types of relationships. At the end of the day, all that matters is that we're striving to bring happiness and love into our lives and the lives of others. Valentine or no Valentine.

Brit and me on our Valentine's Day date