July 28, 2010

Off and running...



When I called my sister and told her I'd started running, the conversation went something like this:

me: so guess what I've been doing lately.
her: what now.
me: running!

pause

me: hello?
her: (hysterical laughter)
me: (hysterical laughter)
her: Lis. you do not run.
me: I know, but I bought some cute running shoes, so I thought it'd be fun to try them out.
me and her: (more hysterical laughter)

Needless to say, I am not known to my friends and family to be much of an athlete. In fact, I would be much more likely to exercise if it required, rather than prevented, the wearing of pretty dresses. However, it is never too late to surprise yourself and others. It is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.

I never thought I'd get any pleasure out of running. I hate sweating. And breathing heavily. But as it turns out, when properly attired, hydrated, and mentally prepared, this average civilian may be easily transformed into something of a runner.

It's been kind of fun to finally follow in the footsteps of my longtime role model, Forrest Gump, and leave my worries in the dust. I even did a little research to learn about intervals and such. All in all, I was pretty shocked to find that a good pair of shoes, a little stretching, and a badass playlist could carry me quite a ways down the road and back.

After five years at Harvard and two more to go, it is a relief to be reminded that sometimes (often) it's kind of unnecessary to read a book about something and become an expert on it first. Sometimes it's better (and more fun) to just get up and do it. Pablo Neruda has a poem about this. It's called "Ode to the Book," and he writes,

"He aprendido la vida
de la vida,
el amor lo aprendí de un solo beso..."

"I have learned life from life,
love I learned from a single kiss..."

So how long will this cardiovascular business will last? The test of winter will certainly be a good measure. All I can say is that it felt pretty great to try something new that was so simple and yet, so far out of my comfort zone.

Thank goodness for a sister who doesn't let me take myself too seriously. This post is dedicated to sisters and sneakers and little things like mini-quiche.

Last weekend, my fabulous roommate had a birthday party for which she made salmon and crème fraiche mini quiche, chocolate cake, and spanikopita. Here are some photos. Unfortunately for you, they are not edible.