Responsible Running

I was going to run on a high school track nearby, but cold, strong winds and potential rain convinced me to run around my neighborhood, which has lots of tree cover. After stepping outside, I wondered if I shouldn't have worn more than shorts and a long-sleeve shirt that's full of holes. I still ran four miles at a snail's pace. But this seemed like the most responsible thing to do (other than going back and putting on more clothes) to conserve energy to fight whatever illness will probably follow. However, this was definitely progress from years past.

When I was a teenager I hated running with anything bulky, like sweat pants. When I ran, whatever I was wearing became soggy with a few quarts of perspiration. Plus, this was before all that cool, breathable fabric was invented. Anyhow, the winters where I grew up in New York, followed by my college years in Boston punished me for my stupidity, like running in shorts when it was 26 degrees outside. Unsurprisingly I got a cold, but it's a wonder I didn't get sick more often. After years of potentially infecting my siblings, parents and college roommates, I've finally gotten better about trying to work out while staying healthy. Because the only thing worse than getting sick is getting family and friends get sick. Unless one of them was being a jerk that day, in which case he probably deserved it.