Running Toward Myself

Running Naked. Do You, or Don't You?

 (source)

Sunday morning was a beautiful morning for a long run in Georgia. Now, many people may disagree with that assertion, but considering the fact that it IS January, the heart of winter, and the weather was in the 50s, I count that as pure perfection. After being forced (literally) to postpone my long run from Saturday due to the insane storms and needing to get in my mileage before an early afternoon commitment (Go Hoosiers!), I was up and out the door earlier than I have been in the past few weekends. Wearing shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt (yeah, January in Georgia, folks!), my plan was to warm-up with the 2 miles down to the trail (the Silver Comet), put in some harder miles to the main trail head and back, and then cool down with the 2 miles, uphill, back home. Oddly enough, my trusty old skool Garmin seemed to mysteriously lack a charge as I headed out the door. So, I quickly embraced the fact that this run would entail no Garmin, just shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter....Charity was running naked.

When I first started running after my weight loss I, like many of you, simply started by trying to alternate running bursts into my walking routine. I am unsure how my running morphed from the pureness of listening to my body in the early days to the Garmin-dictated-forcing-of-my-body-to-do-what-the-numbers-say-it-should-do of today. I assume it is a part of the natural progression of running that we, as motivated and goal-driven people, look to the data to make ourselves better. In those early days for me that data was the number on the scales as I tried to lose weight. My feedback was the pounds I was shedding. But now, as a runner, the data that motivates me on  most days lies withing that little box on my wrist. And just like those scales, quite often, it mocks me. Loudly. And without mercy. 

So, what a bonus it was on Sunday for the Garmin to be dead for my long run. I will often go without it for my shorter weekly runs as I am rather good at judging my pace and effort on short workouts. However, I very seldom ever go without it on my long runs...if only to beat myself up about the data in retrospect when I refuse to look at it while on the actual run itself. 

Without my Garmin I am allowed to enjoy things I'm not usually privy to on my runs with the said torture device. On this naked run, one of the things I enjoyed was the chicken hawk that very nearly clipped my nose as he dove across my path while swooping from one tree to the next along the trail. If I had been wearing my Garmin I certainly would have had my nose down, looking at my pace instead of having my head up enjoying the scenery. Bonus #1. Another thing I was able to enjoy while running naked today was the amazing number of fellow runners I met who were absolutely NOT running naked. This short and t-shirt wearing, Garmin-less, naked runner was simply amazed at the number of people I saw in full-fledged winter running regalia, complete with stocking caps and woolen mittens. With temperatures in the 50s. I understand the desire to get full use out of the scads of winter running gear you have as that stuff costs some serious cash. However, there is a time and a place and a temperature for the wind-resistant running pants and YaxTrax. That time and place is not in Georgia in January in the 50s. On the other hand, there were also those non-naked runners on the trail who screamed, "New Runner," by their attire. These are the runners I love the most, the ones I give an encouraging word as I run past them, because these are the runners that remind me most of myself in my early running days. You know them. Not only are they way over-dressed for the conditions, but they are dressed in, *gasp* cotton! They have on hoodies and sweatpants and doubled-layered caps and gloves. They look a lot like this:

Bwahhhaaaaa...we were SO misinformed. Look at those puffy jackets and hoodies!

Maybe my blood has not totally thinned out since moving to Georgia, but I was a bit dumbfounded by the sheer number of runners incredibly over-dressed for the conditions. I see it often and just can't wrap my mind around it.

When all was said and done, I have no idea as to my pace for my long run this week, but I enjoyed every naked minute of it. I'm certain that next weekend I'll approach my long run fully dressed, Garmin and all, and I'll love being able to break down my data and push myself along the way. That won't keep me from thanking the Lord above on those days my Garmin is mysteriously dead. I'm going to embrace the nudity, and I think you should, too.