Run Lauren, Run

I wish I liked to run. I really do. Actually, my first wish is that I had a wicked high metabolism so that I didn't have to run at all...but since that's never going to happen I've reverted back to just wishing that staying in shape wasn't so much flipping work.

No one believes me when I say that I hate running, which I really don't understand because since when does doing something regularly automatically mean you enjoy it? I do the dishes every night after dinner because I like to have clean dishes to eat on the next day and hate for the kitchen to be a mess. I clean the bathroom every week because otherwise, that's just gross. I pay the bills every month because I like having electricity. None of these are things I would say I enjoy. I run every day because I like my clothes to fit and I like eating dessert. That's it.

Some people claim to hit a runner's high after a couple miles and say that running makes them feel more refreshed and energized than anything else in the world. Liars. I've never come close to finding this elusive runner's high and let me tell you, I've searched long and hard for it. I try to do at least a couple miles five or six days a week but I've also done several 10k's in my day and I ran cross country in high school. And did I ever hit this high that made me forget the cramp in my side and the ache in my legs and just want to go all Forest Gump and keep running and running and running? Um, no. And I say, if a 10k isn't a long enough distance to hit that euphoria then it ain't gonna happen.

Maybe if Zack wasn't such a good cook and cheesecake didn't taste so darn good this wouldn't even be an issue.

Anyway, I've been doing this running thing for the past five years or so; ever since I graduated from high school and realized that without a ball coach screaming in my face to get my butt up the basketball court I might not be able to fit in my clothes quite as well. You'd think after five years I'd reach a point where I if I didn't enjoy it, I could at least be comfortable enough with the daily run to not dread it. You'd think that wouldn't you? Well, you'd be wrong. Every day after work I drag myself home, change into my shorts and tennis shoes and drag myself to the park to run. And every day I dread it just as much as I did the day before.

On a side note, as far as I'm concerned the best thing about running is that I can justify getting new, super awesome running shoes much more often than I could if I depended on my other day to day running around to wear them out. And I'm a big fan of new shoes.