that’s marathoner jeff galloway’s attempt at inspiring you to run. to run faster, easier, and healthier. or something like that. he has a book entitled “run for life”, which has always amused me, because while you are sort of running as a lifestyle and perhaps to lengthen your um, lifespan, that title as a play on a more panic-inducing cry just seems to trigger all sorts of unrelaxed, unenjoyable emotions—all the emotions you aren’t “supposed” to go through as long distance runner.

i mean, you hear stuff about runner’s highs and so on, about how it makes you feel after. i know after a run i feel like crap, but i admittedly look forward to it, since i’m a sucker for the burn and how it brings me a step closer to the elusive, practically-unrealistic-by-now body i want.

or maybe it refers to escaping from diseases when you run. hmm. cancer? RUN FOR (your) LIFE! sort of like a telegram, maybe, where they remove all articles and pronouns from the string. lung disease? RUN FOR LIFE!

anyway, after all that, i admit i have a jeff galloway book. back when i was into long distance running (”run away your thighs!”) and jun got it for me one christmas. i just dug it out for a colleague whom i went running with last night.

yes, i’ve started running with the office people. i’m not going to make big promises about how long this will last for, but that aforementioned burn… boy did i feel it this morning. one more step towards my now maybe mythical body. one that’s such a vague possibility that it’s reached the point where i can only see it by faith.

thunder thighs? RUN FOR LIFE!