I had a funnyexperience last night. I went for a 10 k run and the most hilarious thing kept happening to me. I set out on a vigorous run, only to realize it had been THAT long since the last time I had run in the evening. I was not even off my street when I had greeted someone with a big "MORNING!". It was 6 pm.
I did this about five times during my run. I just automatically said good morning to everyone around me. I felt stupid saying it and corrected myslf the first two times, but by the third, I just started laughing at my stupidity and let people think what they would about my unusual greeting. Maybe this was morning for many people in the world, like Australia, or a night shift person! Am I that much a creature of habit, though!?
This has gotten me to thinking. When I first began running, I read up on RunnersWorld.com about greeting others and the dilemma it causes many. I really related to how vexing it was whether to greet others on a run. First, it was a very private time for me in a way. I really did not feel like interacting with people. I was feeling winded, probably looked stressed, and was not in the mood to be social as I was in the middle of a kind of suffering. Who wants to say hello when you can hardly wait for the run to be finished??? Also, I know in starting out, I was very self conscious. I was not in shape, and felt like I was one of "those" guys trying and looking quite out of his element, the strenuousness of the sport was in my face and I felt like noone should be witness to that kind of discomfort. Noone should hear me breathing hard, so I would even quiet down my sounds of out-of-breath-ness" as I passed them.
But over time, something changed in me. I became not less self-conscious, but more confident in my being out there, on the run. I became a full fledged runner. I was no doubt less winded and embracing the sweat. Not so much concerned about my loud breathing but able more to be in my personal space amongst other people. I was also really starting to enjoy myself! As this started to happen, my hellos became more pronounced, my non verbals more friendly and obvious, and I had startled enough people out on their walks to realize that I needed to warn them of my approach so as not to have to say OOPS SORRY TO STARTLE YOU over my head phones over and over. I started to own my runs, to claim them as mine and I realized I belonged out there, out of breath, life was made to live out of breath at times and I was going to suck up all the oxygen I could. I will exhaust myself because I can and life is too short to live it timidly and self-consciously. Also, I realize that in my talks with those in my life, that when you embrace something passionately that you become an embassador of sorts.
Nowadays I give the peace sign to many other runners/cyclists, hellos to the elderly as they walk, and to many of those Ill say "morning!" To too many, perhaps I'll say it even to them even when morning has no bearing on the current time of day. My perogative, I suppose! MORNING!!!!
