Hurrying

[darkemeralds]

I've taken up running.

The urge came over me one day a month or so ago. It's "running" in the sense of breaking gravity by having both feet off the ground at once--albeit by a millimeter, for a millisecond. Somewhere between a jog and a shuffle. A juffle.

At first it was four steps juffling, four walking, repeat, and then be uncomfortable. Now I can juffle for a whole city block at a time, then walk a bit, and juffle another block. No special gear required, no athletic critique invoked--I just look like I'm running for a bus.

I told my healthcare practitioner (who was very encouraging, by the way), that I'm training for the Olympic Hurrying event. My brother the artist made me a logo, q.v.

Here's the amazing thing: even just a couple of minutes' hurrying clears my mind, elevates my mood, energizes me for an hour, makes achy bits stop aching, and improves my eyesight (really!).

Also, my bus-catching stats have improved dramatically.

Comments

[silk-knickers.livejournal.com]

There actually is an Olympic Walking event, with rules about always having to have a part of one foot on the ground, and such. I was watching it during the Beijing Olympics, very bemused but knowing that I wouldn't have even been able to cross the finish line in that event.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

I remember that movie "Walk Don't Run," featuring Timothy's dad Jim Hutton. And Cary Grant in his underwear, and the Olympic race-walking competitions.

As I look into this "hurrying" thing, I find that there is, in fact, something quite particular about breaking gravity that isn't accomplished by fast or hard walking. I don't fully understand it yet, but I can say from vast experience of long, arduous, uphill, fast and generally serious walking that this running thing, however mild-mannered, feels qualitatively different.

Long way of saying, seems like it's not ONLY about heart-rate and aerobics. There's something else, metabolic or something, that feels qualitatively different.

[vampirefan.livejournal.com]

this is awesome! before you know it, you'll be juffling al the way to work! or something like that :)

very cool :)

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

You say very cool, but your icon says Invasion of the Body Snatchers! Hee!

It's only four miles to my work, so I can imagine hurrying there someday. Interval-hurrying.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Are you home safe and sound?

[vampirefan.livejournal.com]

yup!

...and i'm headed to bed 'cause i am so tired! and it's not even midnight! *gasp*

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Dude.

Well, watch "High Poon (http://www.spike.com/video/pg-porn-high-poon/3157900)" with Alan Tudyk as soon as you can.

[vampirefan.livejournal.com]

omg! this was hilarious!

and now i watched all of it. the michael rosenbaum one was pretty funny except for the ending of the second part where there were blood and guts!

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

I found every last one of them DEEPLY disturbing and incredibly funny. Kind of like your icon. *boggles*

[prime_meridian]

I love this. Both because it speaks to moderation versus "OMG, I'm going to run a marathon in six months" and because dammit, it's good to remember that even a speedy shuffle from hither to yon can make you feel better. :)

Love the icon. And I just learned what q.v. means so go me. :P

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

It's VERY moderate, what I'm doing! What's been so amazing to me is the gulf that separates it from even the most vigorous walking.

All these years I've believed that the difference was measured in calories burned, period. But three or four minutes' "hurrying" has effects that I've never experienced with any amount of vigorous walking. It's pretty cool.

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

:-)

[str8ontilmornin.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it feel good? Especially with the crisp air and all. I'll volunteer for your Hood to Coast Hurrying Team.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Hee! Okay.

That's a helluva a lotta juffling!

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

Good for you. Surprisingly, I too have felt the urge to run - and indulged it. The trouble is, though my CV system is up for it, my shins most definitely aren't and I'm in pain for days afterwards. I'll content myself with walking the dog quickly and cheering you on.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

The shin trouble definitely comes into play if I "really" run--big strides, significant gap between sole of shoe and sidewalk, etc. But this hurrying thing doesn't seem to invoke it. It's pretty cool.

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

Ah, good tip. Maybe I'll try that.

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

A random hello- and congrats on the juffling! I was posting a reply at forodwaith's LJ, saw your 'stumptown' icon, and realized OMG, another PDX resident. I just moved here last July, but thought I'd say a quick hello since we have Ms. Waith in common as a friend. :)

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Well, howdy there, neighbor. My icon says hello to your icon. (Your photograph, by the way? Wonderful colors!) I am totally friending a fellow Stumptown slash fan. Thanks for dropping by!

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Howdy back! I see that not only do we have slash and forodwaith in common, also Altariel and that you're a knitter, too!! :D Friended back!

As for the icon, sadly, not my picture. I took some around the first neighborhood where I lived (near Hawthorne) and some from the river since I work at Portland Opera which is literally on the esplanade. Found the purple via the internet and made it mine. ;)

The knitting in this icon, however, is indeed from a project I knitted for an ex-paramour. :P

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Ex paramours have the best damn sweaters, don't they! I don't knit much these days--feel like I said all I wanted to say in wool--but the urge sometimes re-strikes and you never know. That looks like a nice gansey or Aran in your picture. My favorite kind of knitting.