hahaha @earthmama GO YOU!!! I love running – are you finding it fun?? So cool that you are making that connection with breathlessness as a positive! LOVE IT!
OH my I’ve been out running and my leggings are falling down and then I’ve got swooped by a plover and there are people drinking wine on the verandah of the house by the path actually laughing and pointing at me trying to fight off a plover and pull up my pants at the same time.
The beauty of running is that it can be like a meditation and when you find that zone you don’t even notice other people. TBH I think that everyone is so self absorbed. When I do see someone out running if I am driving I think ‘good on you ! I know how good that feels ! go you ! etc.’ It motivates me to put on my runners seeing other people run – so instead of feeling self-conscious, maybe think that you are inspiring them!
My hot tips:
– high waisted leggings are good and less likely to fall down
– wear whatever is comfy for you – there is NO running uniform or any particular brand that improves your performance
– read Born to Run or watch the Barkley Marathon (on Netflix) SUPER inspiring and amazing humans that reinforce prior point about running uniforms / gear / that anyone can do anything they set out to do
– get a good BPM playlist going mine is all dance music but I know some people run to podcasts!
– it’s useful to track your runs if you are interested in seeing how far you can go or are interested in improving your speed, but the best thing about running like you say is it is free and accessible and you don’t need to take it seriously
– warm down properly (Stretch, stretch, stretch)
– Set yourself a goal like a 5k park run to train for – they are all over the country, cost nothing to join and are super fun to do!
YAY! Running is the best!