Oh the insanity!

I was never a runner, I abhorred running infact. It hurt my chest, it made my thighs wobble and it seemed like too much torture for not enough rewards. I hated running and really questioned the sanity of runners who ran in the wind, rain and snow in my little town in Ontario.

One evening, about 3 or 4 years ago, I was driving home from work. It was a grim and grey January evening, the temperature had plummeted and I was looking forward to some good TV and tasty dinner. I reveled in the toasty warmness of my car while the snow was fell in thick, wet lines. I started to descend a rather steep hill, taking care not too slide in the now horizontal snow, and it was then I looked out onto the sidewalk and couldn’t believe my eyes....
There he was....a runner...an insane runner...
running,
up a steep hill,
in the snow.

UP A HILL and IN THE SNOW and RUNNING....I couldn’t believe I was using these three things in one sentence.

He kept his head down as he leaned into the wind and pushed himself up the hill. He looked tired but determined. Every step took tremendous effort - he used every part of his body to force himself through the onslaught of challenges. I remember asking “what does it take to become that committed?”, and “how does one get the motivation to put yourself through that?”.

Fast forward to Winter 2008 and how the tables have turned. I was the one now running, through the snow and up a hill. I was the one leaning into the wind and forcing another kilometer out of my body while snow lay thick on the ground and icicles hung from the rim of my hat. I now LOVE Winter running! It renews my motivation to run and reminds me how beautiful the snow can be.

I get it now, I do. I understand that the satisfaction of a challenging run far outweighs the discomfort. I am not going to lie either - I feel pretty “hardcore” when I look into the eyes of the people staring at my from their toasty cars. The questioning eyes wonder why I bother and the smiling eyes are those of runners who know why I bother. The right clothes and accessories are key as well - for me that entails being covered from head to toe in the warmest running attire so that only my eyes can be seen. Don’t be alarmed by those Bigfoot sightings in Oshawa.

Becoming healthy and fit is supposed to be challenging - without the challenge there is no point. For years I shied away from the physical and mental discomfort of working out - I wanted to do something that helped me lose weight but didn’t take much effort - but, as I found out later, it’s the effort that makes the difference.

Now, I am not saying everyone should start running up hills this Winter but testing limits is very....hmm.....addictive!