Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm ... a U.Va. student?
This happens to me every year. I come back to Grounds and see people jogging outside everywhere I look, and they all look so happy doing it, and once again, I am tempted to try it.
I mean, after all, what's not to love? You get beautiful scenery just taking the paths across Grounds, but there also are tons of trails and hidden neighborhoods that are made all the more breathtaking this time of year as the leaves begin to change colors.
So, like every year, I give into temptation and go for a run outside, and just like every other year, I get through the first song on my iPod and wonder what the heck I'm doing. The rose-colored glasses come off, I'm out of breath and I remember - oh yeah, I actually really hate running outside. I mean, I really hate it.
I hate having to worry about traffic. I hate the heat. I hate the cold - because in Charlottesville there is no in-between. I hate all the little pebbles and bumps in the sidewalk that conspire to trip me up. But most of all, I hate that I am the only one that seems to really hate it.
There is no doubt that our school is a little exercise-crazed, and as far as I'm concerned, that is not the problem. With obesity on the rise everywhere you look in America, I don't see a little healthy pressure to get out and be active as a bad thing. But seriously, why does there have to be so much emphasis on jogging outdoors?
I love the outdoors, but as a somewhat accident-prone person, I would much rather enjoy them by hiking or going for long walks - both of which give me ample time to see raised rocks and tree roots. I feel like there is a stigma attached to this sort of exercise, though. I would almost be embarrassed to be caught going for a walk just to walk because then my fellow students would be able to see how not intense I really am. And therein lies the root of all this pressure to run outside; it guarantees that your workout will be seen.
It's not enough for us to actually be fit here; we have to prove to everyone else that we are staying fit. If you don't believe me, just take a stroll around the Aquatic and Fitness Center. That gym is clearly popular because it is a larger, newer facility, but I think it has another draw that puts it ahead of Memorial Gym and Slaughter Recreation Center. If you go to the AFC to workout, it is guaranteed that someone you know will witness it. The whole place is opened up like a giant viewing room, and the ring of cardio machines on the second floor especially is conducive to staring people down as they exercise.
I think the reason people choose to jog outside or use the cardio ring so much is that having others see you try to stay in shape sometimes relieves more of the pressure to be fit than actually being fit.
Or maybe I'm totally off-base and there is just an inordinate amount of people at U.Va. who are disgustingly enamored with jogging outdoors. Either way, I think it is important to remember that calories can be burned whether there are witnesses or not. And if you are like me and would prefer that no one be around to observe your klutzy, duck-footed running, you can always hide out on the more secluded treadmills of Mem and Slaughter.
Katie's column runs Tuesdays. She can reached at k.mcnally@cavalierdaily.com
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