One thing that is taking up a bit of my time at the moment is running. I think it's fair to say that this has become a slight obsession of mine, and better an obsession like this than one of say... cupcakes. Oh, wait, I have one of those too. But, the beauty of running is that I can indulge in those perfectly formed, gorgeously satisfying and uber-pretty (not to mention extremely calorific!) little treats and not feel an ounce of guilt. Well, maybe just a little, but I can rectify it by thrashing hard on the beach. Perfect!
I never thought I'd say this since I'm the laziest of lazy people... but jogging makes me feel good. Even when I'm gasping for breath, turning into a hot, sweaty, red-in-the-face mess, in desperate need of some water and nursing my aches and pains, I feel good. There is something so exhilerating about running in the rain, or hearing the waves lap up beside you as the sun comes up. I feel proud, I feel accomplished, and here are some reasons why:
1. Obviously, the fitness benefits. I don't get so breathless at the simplest of tasks anymore and I can feel my clothes getting looser. Score!
2. I'm getting lots of fresh air. There's nothing wrong with my warm, cosy and sometimes stuffy living room, but getting fresh air in the mornings makes me feel more awake, more alert and more energetic. It just gives me an incredible sense of well-being, which can't be bad.
3. I appreciate my town and surroundings more. I jog on the beach and it is just beautiful. Mr Lollipop isn't from this neck of the woods. He didn't grow up on the seaside, and I remember one of the first times he came and stayed with me, he fell in love with the beach. I couldn't understand at the time what was so special about it, but I get it now. One day I'll go running with my camera (a la the gorgeous Zooey Deschanel in Yes Man!) and take some pictures of the gorgeous, picturesque beach I run along.
4. It's at my pace. The thing with workout videos and the reason I get bored of them so quickly is because I can't choose my pace. I either can't keep up or they don't work me hard enough. With jogging, I can set my own goals and challenge myself, which is great. My current goal is to jog the length of the beach. At the moment I'm still walking about a quarter of it, but to be fair it is a long way! haha. My ultimate goal is to run to the end and back again, but I think that's a few months away yet!
5. Female bonding. I've mentioned before that my Mother is my running partner, and a cracking running partner she is too! We have some of our deepest conversations when we are out in the mornings. She rocks. I workout with Mr Lollipop sometimes too, and we just laugh the whole time. Laughter is the best medicine and all that jazz :)
6. Meeting other lovely people. My Mam is the ultimate inspiration. She always encourages and motivates me, but recently there have been some total strangers inspiring us to go further, run faster, breathe harder. People don't judge you, they support you and give you a boost. My favourite was a woman easily in her 60's, overtaking us (!) and saying 'You're doing brilliantly girls, keep it up'.
7. I can allow myself some treats without thinking my diet is over and I'm a failure. You know those feelings girls! I feel as if I've 'earned' this yummy food, and I savour every single mouthful.
8. It doesn't cost me an arm and a leg in gym membership. Okay, so you need to invest in a good pair of trainers, but mine were only £40 and do the job perfectly. After that it costs you just fresh air. Literally.
9. The eye candy. What do you often find on a beach? Surfers. Hunky surfers with skin tight wetsuits on... sigh. That makes the early mornings a lot more enjoyable, I can assure you... But if Mr Lollipop asks I didn't notice!
10. I can be alone with my thoughts. I have the time to think things over, plan my upcoming week and reflect on the week gone by. Just me in my head and nobody else... and it's bliss.
So, there you go, 10 reasons why I am obsessed with jogging. I go a minimum of 3 mornings a week. It's so simple, just grab your iPod and away you go - pound those pavements and get exploring!
xoxo
All images, as ever, from weheartit
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