I started running right before the pandemic closed everything down in 2000. It made a huge impact on my life. But I also realized that most everything I knew about running was wrong!

1. You don’t have to warm up before running. I know. This sounds like sacrilege. But I don’t like flexing and stretching before I run. Instead, I just start walking. That’s all the warm up I need.
2. You don’t have to run constantly. Just because you say you’re going for a run doesn’t mean you are running non-stop. It’s tiring. So I walk. Some days I walk a LOT. Other days a rarely stop. But almost always walk on my “run”.
3. Run up hills for an extra workout. One of my running mates set this idea in my head. You can’t walk up a hill. You have to run up it. Hills are no my favorite part of my run.
4. Shoes don’t need to be tight. I spent the first year trying to get my shoes to fit “right”. I tightened them, cut off the circulation. It was miserable. Now, they are fairly snug. But not tight.
5. Get good running shoes. That really helps a lot, especially if you’re running on pavement, which is they easiest, most-accessible way to run. You’ll also need to replace them at least once a year depending on how much you run.
6. Listen to podcasts to stay entertained while running. My biggest challenge with running before I got AirPods was staying entertained. Podcasts make a huge difference. Most days, I enjoy the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But many days, I use it as a time to catch up on whatever my podcast of the moment is.
7. Some days it’s okay just to walk. Going back to not running constantly. If you’re tired or just uninspired. It’s okay to walk. Take it easy. Stroll. You’ll get back to it soon enough.
8. Running is the best way to lose weight. I’ve never been overweight. But when I finally started running, the aerobic activity is what finally got me in control of how much I weighed.
9. Wireless Headphones are the best. One of my excuses for not exercising years ago was those dang dangly headphone wires. When I finally got wireless headphones, my world was changed.
10. Humidity matters for temperature. This morning the temperature was 39 degrees. But with 78% humidity, it felt like 31 degrees. What a big difference whether you’re hot or cold.
11. How should you dress? Again humidity matters. But here’s a rough guide for cold weather. Wear short sleeves and shorts when the temperature is in the 60s. Long sleeve and shorts in the 50s. Long sleeve and long pants in the 40s. And of course, make sure your head is covered and maybe an extra shirt in the 30s.

There are so many reasons I love running. I know it's not for everyone. But as they said in the episode “The Message” on Firefly:

“If you can't run, you walk. If you can't walk, you crawl, and if you can't do that, you find someone to carry you.”.

I learned that as we I get out and move more. It gets easier to move. Your thoughts start changing.

In fact, my family walked to the park last year. We got there and realized we forgot something at home. I volunteered and said, “I'll run home and get it.” My wife looked at me like I was crazy. It was a mile back to house. But I ran… and walked… and ran some more. I was a little tired. But I felt great. I got what I needed and made it back feeling good.

Now I think about our grocery store, a mile away. I walk or run to it. Sometimes I bike if I need to get there quickly. I can make it round trip in 20 minutes. It takes about as long by car. So I'll do that if I don't need a lot of groceries (and it's not miserably cold outside). It's super easy.

I get outside. I get exercise. I also contribute nothing to the climate crisis. More and more I try to think about my impact our environment. I realize little things like this make a huge difference. Do you really need to rush to the grocery store? Prolly not. I usually don't.

And yeah, there are times that we do. Those are the times when I say it's okay to take a car.

I still think back to those days early in the century. My body was aching. I was putting on weight. I kept hoping and trying to make a change in my lifestyle, through exercise and just getting out.

But it was running that made the best change to my life. I only wish I did it sooner. My hope is that you might consider taking it up yourself. If not running, then walking.

And hey, while you're at it, listen to my Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories to pass the time!