No, not Bay to Breakers. I’ve done that (with clothing). In fact, I wore a Mai Tai costume with a plastic straw for a headpiece and a tiny leg opening at the bottom, which necessitated a very short, choppy stride for seven miles.
No, this time we were on our home turf, specifically the lovely lawn at Zilker Park in downtown Austin. Gilbert said our workout was to run three grass laps of the park, naked. There was some giggling and elbowing followed by a pause. We wondered if we misunderstood his African accent, until he explained that running naked simply means not wearing a watch.
Luckily for me, I wasn’t wearing one anyway. Little did I know I was already naked.
Add his accent: “Furst Lop, run wid Joey. Second Lop, fasta. Thud Lop, fasta. Now ready go!” Health & Injuries.
DAA Industry Opt Out.
Naked meant more than just watch-less for Jena and me. We felt heavy and emotionally naked as well, running side-by-side breathlessly sharing heartache. There is truly no better place for pain than to take it out for a run, especially with a friend who understands. I am not at all comparing my broken heart to Jena’s – she lost her husband and best friend of 20 years. But we could relate on the point of feeling like you had everything, then the rug coming out from beneath you, followed by a face-plant. It can make you pretty mad at God, wondering why he has to go and show you something so good if he has no intention of letting it last? We talked about this between breathing and stretches of compatible pace and silence.
Sometime on the final curve of lap three I decided that although I have no idea how my heartache will play out or what the ending of the story will be, I am grateful for the ache. I’m grateful because it means that I can actually feel something besides numb where love is concerned. Just like our ache after a hard workout reminds us that we did something good, heartache reminds us that we were open, vulnerable and willing. And that is definitely something good. Just like a bad race is not really that bad, because heck, you were racing, right? It’s what we train for.
Besides, we had blades of grass stuck to our calves, a shiny layer of humid sweat, and soggy ponytails. When a day begins like this, anything is possible, right? Especially together.
Try running naked. Run with Joy instead of Garmin. Strip off your burdens, fears and heartache, and let it all hang out – say it like it is and work it out while you are working out. May as well leave it all on the field.
Do You Burn More Calories on Your Period.
Kristin Armstrong is a mother, a writer, and a runner. She has written six books, including her latest, How to Start Running.
