What is usually an all-too-brief window of good pre-summer-swamp-thang-humidity in the DMV has actually extended all the way through Memorial Day. Temps are in the 70s, there's been blue skies, and nice breezes: perfection! Having been here more than two decades,though, I know this likely won't last, so I'm not letting it slip by, and have managed at least a 20-minute outdoor run every day this week. The effect on my mood can't be denied: it's been a way cheerier week than when I got stuck in a funk last week. I can thank the gorgeous flowers I spotted on a stroller run towards my favorite public garden for a lot of that!
Being outside makes me (and Tiny Overlord) just bloom!
But when the pandemic hit just as I was finishing my first trimester of pregnancy, my OB put gyms on the same no-no list as wine and runny eggs for preggo people (I was surprised to find I missed the second more than the first, but that's another story). So, I shifted to all outdoor running (and then outdoor run-walking, and finally outdoor just walking as Tiny Overlord grew into a bigger and bigger baby). Now, nearly three years later, I still have not rejoined a gym and nor bought a treadmill. So, all of my running is outdoors.
Enjoying some of my second-trimester gym-banishment days
And, I don't miss the indoor ones at all. Yup, outdoor running can feel like a reach when you're just starting out, when you're just returning, or when you're in a body that is seen as "different" for whatever reason. But there's so much to love about it -- and here are my top 5 reasons why outdoor running rocks.
1. Running outside is cheap.
Some people might call me (and Mr. Every-Body-Run) a cheapskate, but I always say that's a world for people who have tons of money and don't spend it, so I will just call myself "thrifty" : ) Even though I was a member of the least-frills gym in my area, I was still shelling out $40 a month, plus often having to pay for parking if all the free spaces were taken up.
But all running outside costs me is a good pair of running shoes, usually about twice a year, given my typical mileage. (And, I'd need to buy those even if working out indoors.) Especially by following your local running store -- I'm partial to Pacers Running -- so you can get expert fit advice to avoid injury and keep an eye for sale times, you can make running easy on your finances. Plus, as a parent, if I run outside, I can just pop Tiny Overlord in the stroller, also saving on a babysitter if I want to run when Mr. EBR is at work (or in his second home, our local Home Depot)
my kicks? 70% off (thanks Pacers!)
my view of the Potomac in Old Town? Priceless (but, actually, FREE!)
2. Running outside offers cooler scenery.
I don't know about gyms where you are, but where I am, it can be a bit of a bro-topia. And no shade to the bros (OK OK, a little shade), but as a middle-aged mom, having the only view on my run be some dudes in tank tops making those bizarre grunts while they weight lift just is not my jam anymore. And while I used to occassionally turn to the gym TV turned to FOX News in hopes that the rage it sparked would get me so mad that I'd be able to pump up the speed dial, somewhere around 2017, things just got so scary there it would paralyze rather than motivate.
But outside, I get much-needed eyefuls of nature. The DMV is a place that is often under-appreciated for its natural wonders (people tend to go for the political and monumental ones here), yet the wide Potomac running through the city and the historical C&O canals offer one of my favorite outside features in water views (also clutch in the summer when breezes = nature's air conditioning). Wherever you are, there is probably also some under-sung nature to check out, whether it's a river of your own, a lake, a woodsy trail or even just a neighborhood with some cool trees or front yards, it's a lot more fun to gaze at than sweaty dudes or talking-head-TV.
There's plenty of research about how running outside can make you work a lot harder because of the changes in terrain, which can be a big plus if you are focused on getting stronger or going longer or training for a race. But even if, like me, you're mostly into running right now for the self-care and me-time, running outdoors offers the physical benefit of being able to quickly and intuitively set the pace and distance that is right for your unique body in this unique moment. When I was treadmill running, I would find that I would set a pace and then feel locked in. Sure, I could turn down the dial, but there was the sense that "Well, I did a 5.8 yesterday so I should do it today." When I am outside, even if I choose to put on my run tracker on my Apple Watch, because I need to watch my feet and the road around me, I'm not staring that number in the face as I would on a treadmill. That lets me move up or move down in speed as it feels right for me.
4. Running outside helps you avoid getting sick
While COVID-19, the orginal reason I shifted to all-outdoors running, is now no longer considered an emergency, it is still out there and the indoor air in most gyms is going to be filled with not only that germy, but every other germy, because people breathing hard are emitting more areosols out there into an enclosed space. I had my own bout with COVID last summer, and while it was quite mild (thank you vaccines! Love you science!), it's not an experience I want to repeat; even more so, as the mom of a toddler who goes to daycare, I am sick often enough. Other parents of toddlers, you hear me on this: the kiddo gets the bug of the week, feels bad for a day, bounces back --then passes it to you and you're out for a week or two.
With enough snot-monster days in my life already, I'll happily take any chance to have more time healthy, so running in the fresh and non-sprayed-with-germs air is all for me. Plus, you also get that vitamin D boost from the sun (just remember your sunscreen! Yes, even when it is overcast!) which also helps that immune system.
5. Running outside is good for your mind.
Finally, I am sure you do not need the science to know that being outside just makes us feel good -- though there is plenty of it out there, and oh some more here that reminds us being in nature helps our brains function better: better memory, less stress, better at fighting depression.
I was lucky enough to grow up with a big backyard, and was always a play-outdoors kind of kiddo; though unathletic and tending towards full-on book nerd by my preteens, I was still often dragging my stack of library books to the back porch to enjoy the sun (or, ok, often the wind and chill, because hey, it was Pittsburgh after all).
Now, being a working mum often keeps me in front of the computer much more than I would like; so, if I can get the physical exercise I know my body wants with the nature boost I know my brain wants, I am sold.
stop and smell the roses -- literally -- and your mind gets as good a boost as your body.
So, this is meant with no shame to the indoor running crowd -- you do you! running is for everybody and every body, and for some bodies, indoor will be the best way -- but if you've been curious about trying get on outta here for your next run, I hope it provides some inspiration.
And really, don't worry about anyone looking at you if you're not doing it "right" -- remember, this is coming from the girl who choked on her own hair while outdoor running last week: I'll give you the head nod if I see you out there.
