You know we love our work, right? Have you been reading Ria’s postcards from her travels to Toronto? She’s been having the most *miserable* time eating perfect pasta and reading to legions of adoring fans. For all the moments of slog on the job those are the kinds of experiences that make up for them.
But, The Slog. Hmmm. You know what it rhymes with, right? That’s just what I have been thinking – as I lug my disagreeable self around the streets, drumming an irregular beat, feeling alternately grumpy and virtuous – hey, this running business is a lot like that writing business. Now I just can’t help but notice the similarities.
Here are my “Top Ten Ways Running Is Like Writing”. Or vice versa.
10) No matter how good or practiced you are the first ten minutes (first draft) is generally horrible.
9) After that first part you might start to think you’re actually quite good at it. Yeah, pretty good. Then not. Not at all.
8) It’s better when you are doing it in Paris. (This may apply to everything).
7) When explaining that you (write / run) there’s often the accompanying urge to add “But I’m not actually good at it. Like those other people.”
6) There may be naturals but generally, simply, it’s about hard work and teeth-gritting tenacity.
5) Every runner has their injuries. So too every writer. (Deep tissue ego-bruising is especially common)
4) It helps to have a deadline, a race, a partner or a goal.
3) You have the thoughts – I’ll do it when it’s sunny / not windy / I have the perfect equipment / I’m better at it / the moon is in Saturn.
2) Referring to point 3 – You need to just do it.
1) Somewhere in there, in the middle of it, you have the very brief thought ” 8%&*. Life / The World / The Universe / Everything is….a bit…amazing”
Which is why you keep doing it.
HUGS,
Hannah
PS. My sister, bro-in-law and I, post-race, were comparing our running styles to animals. Bro-in-law was an antelope / gazelle, hooves down. He just skips along. I think I was a platypus. Nice. My sister actually self-selected a hyena. Apparently she was cool with that.
(She is going to LOVE me for this photo. Hee hee ho ho hee hee ha ha.)
So true. Running really helps my brain when I’m writing, so surely there’s an intimate connection between the two. Excited to get active again once I lose this huge bump that has me puffing up a flight of five stairs. Thanks for the great list, Hannah!
Keep cooking up that bump, can’t wait to meet him or her! Don’t worry, lots of days on the other side of bump-ness to fill up with running and writing and, more importantly, good food and books. Are you home now from world famous touring and auditoriums of fainting fans (that’s how I choose to imagine it)? Adoring fan #637 x
Home at last, yes. To a jungle of grass. Kind of excited for Little e to play/hide in it.