07 December 2008

A very British statistic?

Sunday Morning reflective mood has me thinking about “the dress” I've planned to wear for New Year's Eve, and how I hope it will still fit by the time the holidays roll around. I tried it on the other day, and phew! I was in. But this got me thinking...

When I lived in NYC, running was routine feature of my life. I didn’t go fast and I didn’t go far, but at least I went. I lived less than 5 minutes from Washington Square Park, and each day, come rain or shine, began with a daily gallop.

The distance around Washington Square Park is .53 mile. At my best, I was doing 3-4 miles before breakfast at least 3 days a week. I loved that gallop, though I hated dodging traffic, inhaling limitless exhaust fumes, and the general lack of spatial awareness amongst NYC pedestrians.

I cannot describe the feeling of sheer exhilaration each time I whizzed (or wheezed) past the Washington Arch. It always felt like I was seeing it for the very first time. I miss that Arch.

“Superstar Writer Friend” (author of Professors' Wives' Club) is working on a new book called Crossing Washington Square. Seeing the Arch on her webpage nearly made me weep. I miss that Park, it inspired me and challenged me.

I don’t know why I find it so hard to get motivated to run here. I live in one of the most idyllic spots on God’s green earth, and yet I just can’t be bothered. A recent survey in the UK showed that twenty-one (21%) percent of British women who do not take any form of exercise during the week; and yet fifty (50%) percent of British women are either “very happy” or “fairly happy” with their bodies. I’m in danger of becoming a very British statistic.

2 comments:

Random Thoughts said...

It sounds like running was part of your routine in NYC. Do you have a routine yet in your new British life? I find exercise is hard to do,
unless it is just part of your day.

Good luck trying to incorporate exercise back into your life, if that is what you really would like.

Anonymous said...

You said it darling,
it is so hard to workout here and feel it "normal". Despite the bad weather, there isn't the same fitness craze as in America, i think. Like when I go back to the USA I always feel that more people are working out and more counscious of how they look... but then that's odd because aren't Americans supposed to be fatter? Uh, I don't know what the deal is?