How running is like chocolate: A personal realization

It seemed to me that kids were always going BONKERS over chocolate.  I distinctly remember a cousin of mine getting M&Ms in a fast food meal of some sort, and when my aunt took them away from him, all hell broke loose.  Valentine’s Day was an avalanche of Hershey’s Kisses, and a race to get the most.  And don’t get me started on Halloween candy, where we were relegated to only one piece of candy per day, and chocolate was the first to go.  I went along with this narrative, because apparently kids were supposed to love chocolate.  I guess it was a form of societal peer pressure.  But in my heart of hearts, I was never really that excited about chocolate.  The taste just wasn’t pleasing to me.  And I think one day I just woke up and realized…

I DON’T LIKE CHOCOLATE.  I mean, everyone else seems to, and that’s great for them, but I just don’t.  And that’s OK.  I don’t feel guilty when other people eat chocolate, and I don’t feel like I miss out on things.  There are plenty of other foods to eat.  I get along just fine.

Now let’s fast forward a couple of decades.  If you go by my Facebook news feed, everyone seems to be doing one (or all) of 3 things – getting married, having babies, and running marathons.  I did jump on the marriage bandwagon recently, which I must say is quite wonderful when you find the right person.  My feelings about babies are…too complicated and personal to discuss in a blog.  So let’s talk about the third.  Running.

Everyone seems to be running.  And they claim to love it.  It makes them feel good, it releases endorphins, it relaxes them, it changes their lives!  So I’ve tried it.  Multiple times.  I’ve tried a few different couch to 5K programs on several occasions.  When I got ridiculously painful shin splints I tried everyone and their (and my!) mother’s suggestions – new shoes, new socks, new techniques, new stretches.  And none of it helped.  This past winter my mom somehow talked me into signing up for a half marathon.  I tried training, I honestly did.  I even built up to the point where I “ran” a 10K, though I was the very last finisher.

But let me be honest – I hated every single step of it.  It was not relaxing.  It was not fun.  It was extremely painful.  It was embarrassing. Sometimes it was really freakin’ cold.  And one day I came to the realization…

I REALLY DON’T LIKE RUNNING.  AT ALL.  Like chocolate, everyone else seems to go on and on about how great it is.   But unlike chocolate, I still haven’t been able to get to the point where I just accept that it’s something I don’t like and move on.  I mean, there are plenty of other exercises I like to do – biking, hiking, and swimming come to mind.  But so many people seem to place such an emphasis on finishing these killer races – my family, my friends, my co-workers.  Don’t get me wrong, finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment, and I’m proud of those who do.  But I honestly don’t want to do it.

Somehow, though, I keep letting people convince me that I should try again, maybe this time I won’t hate it.  And every single time, I do.  And then I get all sad about it, because I feel like there’s something wrong with me.  Maybe I just need to think of it more like chocolate.  I just don’t like it.  I get that I’m in the minority.  But I don’t go popping Hershey’s kisses every few months just to test it out.  I accept that I don’t like it, and I’ve moved on.  And when someone offers me some, I have no problem telling them “No thanks, none for me!”  I don’t know why I just can’t get there with the running thing.