Running Off Humble Pie

My friends, I have an admission to make: I'm an awful runner. To those of you who have run with me or seen me run from afar, this will not be a surprise. But to those of you who have only heard tales, you may still be laboring under the misconception that I run because I'm good at it. Allow me to disabuse you of that notion, because that is not the case at all.

I run because I'm bad at it. Really bad. I start huffing after about two minutes on a good day. My form drops off approximately three blocks. I start thinking about walking in the first minute and usually find myself actually doing it at the bottom of the first slight incline.

For me, running is sort of a lesson in humility. The amount of effort it takes me to make the slightest improvement harkens thoughts of Prometheus and a large boulder. But when I do make that little bit of improvement, I feel like I can conquer the world.

I'll never be a good runner. The best thing about running is that you rack up the miles whether you move quickly and fluidly ... or not. So I'll keep running and walking. Particularly when I'm feeling impressed with myself for finishing a writing assignment or not spending hours surfing the web, I'll lace up my running shoes and trudge out the door. Not so much to improve, but to humble myself.