I hate running distance. One of my goals this year is to exercise more and to run the Disney 5K that my husband signed me up for (with my sister-in-law). But I don’t just want to run; I want to run well.
Just Keep Running
So these past 3 weeks, I’ve run at least three times a week with our 4 month old in the jogging stroller and our hyperactive not-quite-one-year-old dog. And by run, I mean jog. I’m making goals to get a little further in distance, or a little faster, each time. It’s hard. I’m not going to lie. I’d much rather be reading the driest book and trying to stay awake.
But I do feel good about myself. The exercise, in my opinion, has helped me with the post-partum blues. Not all of it, but I feel better about myself when I run for the day. Or walk even. Yesterday, in our snowless snow-day, but with chilly wind, I bundled up the baby and took our older dog for a walk and felt accomplished for the day.
Even though I don’t like running, I’ve found myself wanting to be more active. Especially since I am stagnant a lot of the day – I work from home for my day job, which is at a computer, and then I am either editing or writing or reading at night... so typically more time sitting and on the computer. I’m sitting most of the day, mostly curled up with my legs in the chair, so getting out for a short walk or jog gets in my exercise.
A Disney Run
But I probably won’t keep running after we do this Princess 5K at Disney World. I will keep exercising (walking mostly), but given my dislike for running, I won’t keep running. The only reason I’m even doing the 5K is because this is how my husband said we could go to Disney World. And my brother-in-law signed us up before we really even got to say no. The sad thing is, since I can’t take our dog and the stroller on the run, I won’t do as well. The stroller keeps me up and the dog pulls to make me go faster.
Who Really Likes Running?
I know it is possible. My husband, brother-in-law, and father all love running. My brother-in-law and husband even have created a run group called Bearded Brothers Racing to document their runs. Me, nah. I loved sprints and hurdles in high school, but that’s long gone now. And yet, as I’m editing The Lost Daughter, I realized that my main character likes running. She runs and swims as an escape from her life. I don’t do either of these things. I walk and float, dreaming up a story.
Which brings me to another question – do you model your character after you? Or do you go to a completely different end? I often base some parts of my characters on me, or those around me, and then change other parts too.
But like Meredith thinks in her story, in a very Dory-tone, I’ll “just keep running” as I work towards this 5K goal – and editing Ryan’s story.
Forward, write! (and run!)
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