I certainly wouldn’t have started recreational running (I say ‘recreational’ since I’m neither quick nor elegant) if I made any money from foot modelling.
What made me start was a need to get out the house, improve my fitness, and counter my consumption of cake, biscuits, and any other foodstuff remotely over-sweet. Somewhat renowned for this, I once received a birthday gift of a coaster with the words ‘this is not a biscuit’ inscribed on its surface in case I tried to ingest it. I’ve also been given a penguin, but that’s another story.
Taking my first lengthy runs (bear in mind that ‘lengthy’ for me isn’t the same as ‘lengthy’ for someone who can actually run without looking like a forty year old asthmatic) I was surprised by firstly the heat I generated, even in the depths of winter, and secondly by the stimulation regular physical activity gave my imagination.
I’ve no idea whether the stimulation is the result of some convoluted biological process that results in increased blood flow to the brain once my exercise regime is complete, or simply that I choose routes that avoid crossing as many busy roads as I can, therefore taking me to parts of my home town I don’t normally visit, and wouldn’t otherwise know existed.
Discovering something new in your home town, particularly one you may have lived in for years – like I have on and off – is very special. The chance discovery of an ancient woodland, bookshop, or art gallery is now what pushes me on to run further, hopefully with the eventual aim of completing some truly lengthy runs.
