I hadn't been to the gym in a week or so when I headed down there after school yesterday. A little chest congestion at the beginning of the week made me consider it a good idea to give myself a rest, but I was feeling pretty good as I pushed through the glass doors and scanned my membership key tag.
Back in the locker room I quickly shed my rain coat and boots and unzipped my gym bag. Pulling on my tights and t-shirt, I reached first for my socks and then my sneakers, but standing there in my stocking feet, it quickly became evident to me that I had not packed my shoes. Extra socks and my orthotics? Yes. But shoes, nope. I cursed my distracted, aging brain, sat down on the bench, and sighed.
It seemed like such a waste to literally be all ready to run and then turn around and go home. The last time I had been to the gym, my earbuds had died, and so I quietly sang to myself as I ran. It wasn't ideal, but I made it work. I reached in and found a pair of compression socks in my bag. Could I? Should I? Why not? I changed into the slightly more supportive socks, snapped the padlock on the locker closed, and padded out into the gym.
The treadmill was not as soft and bouncy as I imagined it, but it was fine, and I promised myself I would stop if it seemed harmful or somehow dangerous to run in my socks. Tucking my earbuds in, I hit play on my phone and punched go on the treadmill. Maybe it was the rest, but I had a great run! My big toes did chafe a bit at the end, and there are blisters there today, but I might have to look into some of those barefoot running shoes, at least just to keep in my gym bag!
Back in the locker room I quickly shed my rain coat and boots and unzipped my gym bag. Pulling on my tights and t-shirt, I reached first for my socks and then my sneakers, but standing there in my stocking feet, it quickly became evident to me that I had not packed my shoes. Extra socks and my orthotics? Yes. But shoes, nope. I cursed my distracted, aging brain, sat down on the bench, and sighed.
It seemed like such a waste to literally be all ready to run and then turn around and go home. The last time I had been to the gym, my earbuds had died, and so I quietly sang to myself as I ran. It wasn't ideal, but I made it work. I reached in and found a pair of compression socks in my bag. Could I? Should I? Why not? I changed into the slightly more supportive socks, snapped the padlock on the locker closed, and padded out into the gym.
The treadmill was not as soft and bouncy as I imagined it, but it was fine, and I promised myself I would stop if it seemed harmful or somehow dangerous to run in my socks. Tucking my earbuds in, I hit play on my phone and punched go on the treadmill. Maybe it was the rest, but I had a great run! My big toes did chafe a bit at the end, and there are blisters there today, but I might have to look into some of those barefoot running shoes, at least just to keep in my gym bag!
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