After decades of repeatedly and publicly declaring how much I loathe running, I’ve taken it up again.

My dog, and running companion, endorses the running thing. My husband runs, so it’s nice to compare notes on training strategies, and enter races together.  Some of the coolest people I know run, and they’re not ultra fit or crazed athletes, or in any way difficult to hang out with.  They like to eat and drink and live out loud, which I love.

I like that with very little effort I can get my heart rate up to the most calorie-burning, nausea-inducing rate that it would take almost 40 minutes of spin class to achieve, and then shortly thereafter be done with my whole exercise routine for the day.