Naperville, IL is a community that’s full of runners. And a high percentage of those people we see pounding the pavement this time of year look as if the reason they’re running is because they believe that running is the most effective way to lose or control their body weight. They also want to avoid cardio problems. They want to look good to family and friends. In other words, they do it because they’re convinced that running is good for their health and well-being.
From Rick: I may be dead wrong, but when watching from the outside, it doesn’t look like they’re enjoying the running experience. It doesn’t seem to be a privilege, but an obligation. It doesn’t seem to be something they get to do. It seems like something they have to do. It’s another job, a duty. It’s not a recreational activity. It’s a test of their self-discipline, their internal fortitude, their will power.
From Pam: Rick and I disagree on this one. I often perceive a lightness in the runners I see. Sometimes I envy the effortless joy in their strides, hoping that maybe it seems that way to those who see me run past them on my neighborhood runs. I’m exhilarated from the realization that I although I’m 70 years old, I’m able to run freely, at a pace that’s comfortable and even challenging at times. But toss in a day of sprints and that takes it to a new level, I admit.
Now on one hand, we both salute the fact that they’re out of the house, off of the couch, and actually doing something instead of nothing. On the other hand we’d like to suggest that running has the potential to be a celebration of human movement, an expression of joy and potency. And we think we most experience that celebration in the act of sprinting, working arms, legs, feet, and lungs to maximum capacity, if only for 50 yards, 100 yards, or 150 yards. If you’d like to stop working at it and start celebrating it, you might just consider sprinting…even in your 70’s!
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