Dear Running,
I won’t lie: there are times when I’ve resented you.
Times when I’ve known we should spend time together, but all I’ve wanted to do is hide away with my other friends, laziness and apathy. After all, I’ve known them much longer than I’ve known you. It takes a lot less effort to spend time with them and I don’t have to go out in the cold and wet to do so.
But we have formed a growing bond over these last four or five years, you and I. And there are plenty of benefits to be had from our relationship. Most of them are tired old clichés: a love of being outdoors; a sense of achievement; a purpose and direction in my life. Blah blah blah.
And then there are days like today. Today was a crap day at work. I mean really crap. On previous days like this – there haven’t been any for a while – I’ve taken the path of least resistance and fallen in with the old gang, aforementioned. Today, however, I had prepared for this and made the path to you less resistant than it otherwise is; I took my running gear to work and only had to throw it on in a post-work strop and I was ready to go.
Boy, did it make a difference to my day.
Spending that time with you – just short of an hour and a half – didn’t make me forget the bad day I had. No, it was better than that: it made me not care about it. More importantly even than that, it made me care less about the crap days that are still to come. If I know you’ll be there waiting for me, only a quick change in the loos away, then I can get through most things. And that can’t be said for apathy and laziness; they just seem to make me dwell on the crap.
So thanks, Running; really. I know I take you for granted. I mean, I’m still not doing any of the things I should be to make sure we can stay together for a long time. You know: stretching, strengthening, all the guys in the band. But I am grateful for all you give me.
See you on Thursday. I’ll be the one in the Lycra.
Love,
Steve
PS Thanks also for all the Magnums you allow me to eat. X