For the past four years I have run less and less, but felt fitter than ever.
From the year 2000 until 2012 I ran a lot, often every day. I thought of it as the ideal way to attain fitness. I even thought it was part of who I was. I enjoyed setting goals and having running destinations and exploring natural areas I would not otherwise reach. I remained as skinny as ever and I’m sure I benefited mentally from an intense daily workout.
However, in 2012 I got access to a gym and began to think about fitness more deliberately. I realized that while running guarantees a baseline level of fitness, adding miles to your route does not bring concomitant benefits. You simply maintain a skinny, androgynous physique, without increasing strength or ability, and while adding wear and tear to your joints.
I also think back and marvel at my cross-country running days. I recall how vomiting at the finish line of a 5 km race was seen as a mark of grit and intensity, and was not treated as a sign of a teenager’s body revolting under that kind of treatment. I wonder how many of my teammates had or developed eating disorders in that culture, a culture that rewarded mindless tenacity and self-control, instead of finesse, skill and consideration.
Nowadays I strive for a comprehensive fitness plan, of which running is only one important part among several. I run to be fit for the things I enjoy. I try to run only on grass and non-paved trails. I will run intervals in open fields and on hills. Nowadays I don’t measure a workout solely in miles, but in how it helps me meet my larger goals.
pseudoisaac 