With lots of time on my hands, I am attempting to be rather productive this summer.  Sometimes that means reading books, other times it means watching hours of The Food Network… :)  And other times yet it means making the effort to keep my body healthy.

So, with no excuse not to exercise, I’ve been attempting to exercise mostly everyday.  My parents have an awesome “home gym” set up with a stationary bike, rowing machine, treadmill, weights and various skipping ropes and resistance bands.  Plus, they have a t.v. set up which means that I can watch The Food Network and not feel so guilty about it!

Mostly what I’ve been doing is using the treadmill.  I’ve never been much of a runner, but I feel like I want to give it a fair try.  I think part of my problem before when I tried was that I hadn’t been physically active at all, and I was also wearing running shoes that weren’t good for my feet.  Now, having consistently done exercise for the past couple of years, and having vibrams, I feel like it’s a good time.

I am by no means “a runner,” and I certainly don’t know much about running.  But, I do know that I feel exhausted in a good way when I’m done each day.  It helps me put some focus in my day and it helps keep me up and moving when it would be far easier to just sit all day.

There are tons of awesome people out there who are “runners” and so I’ve got some links to some helpful posts if you’re interested in starting running, or even if you’re a seasoned runner.

• 8 Tips for Running in the Heat
• RAD Work-out for the Treadmill
• Lessons Learned on a 100 Degree Run
• (never home)makers Running Page
• Want to Become a Runner?
• Preventing Injuries

So tell me: are you a runner?  Why or why not?  If you are, any tips to share?