I’m finally picked up on running and I do it for no other reason than my mental health.
When it comes to exercise, I’m still working on getting to a great routine—I just arrived in Paris, it probably will take months for me to find a class that works for me (I’m slow!!!)—but I know it’s going to be anything involving weight lifting because I am at that age where, if you don’t take care, your muscles will melt like ice in the sun.
But this is not why I run.
I have an anxious temperament. Always have, always will. I probably also have a few not-so-great habits, coffee being one of them, that I’m not ready to give it up. I like what exercise, and specifically running, does to my brain—it floods it with calm and positivity.
I also walk a lot. Paris does that to you. I know it’s a part of a healthy lifestyle, but nothing ever gets close to running. These moments when my body starts sweating or when, after a slow and difficult stretch, I feel like suddenly I could run a full 10k without an issue have such an impact on my mood.
What I want to tell you today is how much running isn’t about performance.
Of course, I try to push myself, but I’m always the slowest runner around.
I don’t care.
Running isn’t about that. It’s a way to check in with my body, to take a break from the flood of information (I trying to run in silence). It’s a way to be present. It’s a safe practice I can always get back to. It’s a constant in my life.
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