What I draw about when I draw about running

Someone reminded me of this cartoon when I was talking about having trouble finding time to work out. Well, not exactly the one above, but this one:

I made this almost twelve years ago, when I was still cartooning in Dutch. I decided to redraw it without looking at it first. I just pulled it up now to post it here and am surprised at some of the things I remembered differently. In the first panel, it says ‘I don’t want to’, and I think that actually works better. I don’t mind changing as much as the prospect of going for a run.

My drawings have definitely improved, but this simple style get the message across just as well, I think.

Which one do you like better?

Something that has also changed, is that I enjoy my runs! Once I get the show on the road, I don’t have a lot of self pity these days.

I found that people telling me how to breath doesn’t work well for me…

… while a healthy dose of self delusion works wonders.

The really surprising thing about running, is how much I’m learning about myself. Without seeing it, I’ve changed:

This is not to say I don’t care about my pace at all. I am training to get faster. But now I know that if I just make the miles and do some fun short intervals every now and then, I will improve. Maybe that’s why I am enjoying the process: it’s not about pushing hard, it’s about showing up - which is a lot easier if you enjoy it.

With love,