Write 31 Days - What Do You Need to Run?
Write 31 Days - What Do You Need to Run?
It's day 4 of my running and writing streak and both are going strong, so I figure I'll keep covering the basics of running. Maybe you're now sold on the "why" of running and you understand what running is, so you might ask, "But what do I need in order to run?"
There's a beautiful answer to that: NOTHING.
Some articles will argue otherwise, but the pure and simple truth is that you don't need anything to run. Don't believe me? I've got one word for you: STREAKERS.
You know what I'm talking about: those few crazies who strip down at sporting events and sprint across the field while security guards inwardly groan, "Nooooo, I hate my job!"
"Okay, but that's less than thirty seconds. You can't really run naked."
Heh. You didn't have much fun in high school or college, did you? ;)
I had some friends in high school who would sneak out at night from the dorms, ride their bikes to a nearby golf course, strip down, and by silvery moonlight they would streak across the golf course, their pale bodies ghostly against the trees.
I, of course, was never invited because I was way too busy studying German and AP Biology being a goody two-shoes, but I'd hear stories later of my pals' shenanigans and feel a little jealous at their bravery and foolishness.
Myron's Discobolos, 450 BCE - Roman marble copy. http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/greekpast/4889.html
In college some acquaintances of mine took up a regular streaking tradition: every semester during final exams they would streak through the library, a couple of white butts in a sea of Carolina blue.
Ah, good times.
That said, unless you plan on racing in a nudist 5K I'd strongly recommend at least some knickers. This isn't ancient Greece where the Olympics were held in the nude. And guess what? The original Olympics were basically track and field events with some wrestling and combat sports thrown in, and so that means lots and lots of running in the buff.
And before you protest about running without shoes, yes, barefoot running is a thing that is alive and well.
But in all seriousness, I'm not advocating you blatantly ask for a citation for indecent exposure (or worse): I'm just pointing out that whatever somebody (including me!) tells you is essential for running, just keep in mind it's not an absolute necessity. Yes, you can run naked; you don't need anything to run.