10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT...RUNNING

I hate running. The only time I can remember "almost" liking it was 20 years ago, when I was running to train and hope to make a college soccer team. I was in the best shape of my life. It felt good; but after running 7 miles a day all summer, I gave running, unless I as running with a ball in my hand or on my foot or a raquet (you know...a real sport).

Every once in a while, if there was nothing else to do for excercise, I would run; but I didn't have to like it. So, why I am running right now? It's my family's fault! Teresa signed up for a 5K race at the end of May and encouraged my son Alex to run and me as well (something about doing this "together"). I don't know what I was thinking, but I agreed. Then, all of a sudden, it turned into a competition between my teenage son and I; and I all of a sudden had all this pressure (leave it up to guys to make everything a competition) to outrun this boy 30 years younger than me!

So, at the end of March, I began running 2 or 3 times a week, and still trying to play basketball or soccer with my family as well. The end is in sight, as the race is at the end of May, just over 3 weeks away. This seems, as good a time as any, to list the:

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT RUNNING

1. If I'm running, it means I'm not eating chocolate cake
2. It's mentally exhausting (since the whole time I'm running, I'm thinking "when is this going to be over"?)
3. My shins hurt when I run
4. There is no winner (except for race day- why run if no one wins?)
5. I have to stretch alot before I run (I hate strecthing)
6. I don't think running goes with my preferred diet
7. I had to buy new shoes (I don't like buying new shoes)
8. It makes my feet hurt the next day
9. The way to keep in shape is to keep doing it
10. It's not basketball, soccer or tennis