10 Things Bandwagon

As I fell on my ass walking this morning (yes, again with the walking...thank you, freezing rain), you wouldn't think something like a top 10 list of things that make me happy would, actually, make me happy.

Oh, but it did, fair readers, it certainly did. Thanks to the beauteous Copia verborum, I have a post for today. Something other than, "wow...walking sucks." Direct your thanks to her ;) Here is a list, in no particular order, of random things that make me happy. All running related, of course.

Lots of commas today. Sorry.

1. New shoes. Any kind of new shoes, but specifically running shoes!


2. Running in shitty weather. I am of the opinion that the crappier the weather is (excluding heat, which we all know is kryptonite), the faster I run.


3. Friends that I've met through running! I've met an extremely diverse group of people, all thanks to running. And there are still lots of people I'd love to meet, like all of you out there in blogland.



4. The ability to eat lots and lots of deliciousness. Yes, I know we should still try to eat in a healthy fashion. It makes us better runners, blah blah blah, but still...it helps that you know that cheeseburger isn't going to hurt quite as much as if you weren't working out at all. And since running is so efficient in the cardiovascular sense, it's better than most other forms of "working out."

5. Working out with the greats. I'll probably never be able to compete in the same three-day event as Margie Goldstein-Engle. But I have run in the same races as Deena Kastor, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Kara Goucher, etc...even if I am hours behind them.


6. Not Being Stressed. Running is fairly cheap therapy. I can say that 99.9% of time, if I go for a run, when I return my attitude will be greatly improved. By a lot!

7. Shirtless Boys Running Club. 'Nuff said.

8. Traveling. I love traveling. If I could get paid to do it full time, I would. Running has been a great way for me to see lots of new places, or rediscover old ones! I've been to Ireland lots of times, but I saw a whole new side of it when I began to run outside and explore more.

9. FREE STUFF!!! I love free stuff. Maybe it's the college kid still deep inside me, but I can't pass up free things, whether it's food or samples or fliers or clothes. Expos send me into a state of delirium tempered by social anxiety. 'Cuz that's a lot of people. Not walking fast enough...anyway. I can't help myself when it comes to those tiny Cliff bar samples! Seriously, it might be a problem. I don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders...

10. Racing. I'm secretly very competitive. Mostly with myself, but I can definitely say that I've tried to pass people during my easy runs just for the sake of passing them. Maybe that's part of the "runner's high" that everyone talks about. Passing someone kinda feels great, and it's okay to admit that. Granted, I don't pass a lot of people. But maybe that's why it feels so good when I do!

I'm thinking of doing a post about food since all the cool kids are doing it. I don't really have much to add, as they've done a pretty good job, but I do have a kinda unique situation. Trying to maintain, or lose, weight when you're injured/living in a new apartment and you don't want to use the cooking utensils because they look a little shady to you is the angle I'm going for. You follow that? Nice. Anyway, we'll see...