A ha! The time I took up running. Me. Running.
I was young and foolish, can I blame it on that? I was 19 years old and living in halls at Glasgow University. One of my flatmates was a girl called Jess. She was my favourite flatmate because she was cool and sporty.
I think I must have talked about wanting to take up running in the way that I once raved on about wanting to do a bungee jump. The idea of being a calm and composed Baywatch-esque runner appealed to me because it was so the opposite to me.
On my birthday, Jess said that, for my present, she was going to teach me how to run. And she did.
We went running two or three times a week, usually in the morning before lectures, and we ran around the park behind our halls of residence, her looking effortless and natural, me panting and puffing along and hoping I didn’t have a heart attack.
A few times she couldn’t come so I went alone and tried to convince myself that soon I’d stop thinking about how much my little body was trying to rebel and be able to just enjoy it. I don’t think I ever did get to that stage. I just plodded along, in my ungainly little way. At the end, when I was within sight of my front door, I’d try to sprint but there was nothing left. I was exhausted. If I did manage any increase in speed, it was so desperate and uncoordinated that I resembled a charging baby elephant and prayed that no-one was watching.
My body was eternally grateful when I stopped chasing this silly pipe dream and went back to walking and sitting down.
A few times since (on crazy days) I’ve thought about going for a run. But more often than not, I see people out running and I just think, “What on earth are you doing? You could be reading a good book and drinking some tea.”
Also, I’ve heard that running makes your face saggy because of the continuous up and down motion, which makes the skin on your face all loose. Looks like I had a lucky escape really.
lazylauramaisey 
Posted by TraceyLynnTobin on September 22, 2013 at 11:54
This gave me a chuckle. š
I took up running earlier this year, when the less-than-freezing-cold Spring weather started to hit Fort McMurray. I would get up early before work and run around the camp with use of the “Zombies! Run! 5k Training” app on my iPhone. It was actually quite fun, and I was definitely learning how to run properly (even though I’m, like, the most out of shape person ever), but after about two months of that I VERY SUDDENLY became introduced to a phenomenon known as “running trots”. If you don’t know what that is…consider yourself lucky. Let’s just say that I was quite terrified to do any running after that and that was the last time I went. lol
Posted by lazylauramaisey on September 23, 2013 at 06:09
O… O no….. I was going to Google ‘running trots’ but I think maybe I’ll just leave it as something nice in my inagination, something about a horse galloping maybe…?
Posted by Alex Jones on September 22, 2013 at 12:22
My first attempt at running was after a bus, I have never looked back.
Posted by lazylauramaisey on September 23, 2013 at 06:09
Sounds like you’ve really got the hang of it then. Did you manage to catch the bus?
Posted by Alex Jones on September 23, 2013 at 10:13
No, my incentive to improve my running ability š
Posted by outsideauthority on September 22, 2013 at 16:36
I cut catching my bus fine most nights and have been observed by a friend breaking into a run. At least that’s what I had to explain I was doing. Apparently I actually hopped on one foot then just stuck my chin out whilst fixing the driver with a glare daring him to drive off. Yet in my dreams I run for days with long easy strides.
Posted by lazylauramaisey on September 23, 2013 at 06:14
O yeh, me too. Dream me vs reality me = svelte beautiful triathlete with flowing locks vs professional cake baker/eater who gets a grump-on if I have to even walk fast.