Why I Jog

13 November 2009 ~ 0 Comments

Life

It’s 6pm in the afternoon and I’m 5 minutes into my jog. The afternoon sun seems directly above my jogging route at the Parque do Povo (the People’s Park). Cars are filling the streets as work lets out and other exercise enthusiasts are already arriving at the park, ready to walk, jog and chitchat.

My baby feet bounce up and down as sweat begins its attempt to drown my face. A bird chirps here, a car honks there and a noisy someone sneezes a hail storm. Ah, this is jogging. And this is why I do it:

I sit a lot. There’s the office chair in front of my computer, the car seat behind the wheel, the church pew on Sunday, and a sweeeet! bean bag in the living room, near the TV. Sitting, sitting, sitting. It’s a tradition imposed upon me back in Sunday school when Mrs T. ordered me to sit in the corner because Daniel the 6 yr. old had once again chosen a bad time to share the first thing that popped into his vacant skull.
I’m getting old. I pride myself in looking younger then I am (here in 10 years, everyone will wish they looked like a goofy 16 year old) but of late I’ve been feeling the years. Turning 50 is right around the corner. It’s a reeeeeeally long corner, but still.
Music + fresh air = best combo ever. My mp3 player is churning out the melancholic notes of Chris Isaak while my lungs take exasperated breaths of pristine park air. This is living.
Community for the win! When I’m out jogging I feel this invisible connection to all the other joggers and walkers who are making a determined attempt at staying healthy. It’s as if we’re all part of a secret club or somethin’. Back home I post my jogging times at the DailyMile social network for an added community rush.
At the end of the day…I want to feel like I did something worthwhile. When you finish your 9-to-5 shift, you may have a paycheck but perhaps not the satisfying glow of contentment. When I finish jogging, I feel like I’ve actually done something good with my day.