Being restricted to homes until May 30 has proven to be a struggle for most everyone. Going outside for more than the bare necessities is frowned upon by the government and communities, but to many, a quick run or walk qualifies as necessary. 

These limitations can make going outside, even for a little while, the highlight of the day. And a larger number of athletic people have made running and walking part of their daily workout ritual.

Akshay Puri, ninth grader, runs whenever he can to stay in shape.

“Most times I’ll do a mile or two to warm up, but sometimes I go for 30 minutes if I want,” Akshay said.  

Akshay is a gymnast, and while he is unable to workout in a gym, cardio is his best source of a good workout.

“I usually run on our treadmill because it’s easier for me to pace myself and stay at a constant speed,” he said.  

Peyton Holleb, junior, similarly uses running to stay in shape for rowing, but both these athletes also utilize the alternative benefits of running.

“I feel accomplished after running far and that makes me feel good about myself,” Peyton said. “Also, getting fresh air and a change of scenery breaks up the monotony of quarantine.” 

When school work is one of the few routines that remains from normalcy, it’s hard to not get stressed out by the workload.

“It does clear my head or relieve any built up stress, ’cause running is very freeing,” Akshay said. 

Will Koenen, senior, runs much more frequently than he used to.

“Online classes make it easier to conform and just keep a sedentary lifestyle, and that motivated me to get out,” he said. 

Having run marathons on all seven continents, Shauna Anderson, math teacher, is a more-than-successful runner. Before stay-at-home orders were issued, she was training for a relay race, which she had recruited other Lab teachers to run with her. 

“The race was canceled, so we decided to run our own leg of the race,” Ms. Anderson said. “I even wore the team shirt that we had made.” 

Despite the race cancellation, each runner who had signed up was mailed their medal and bib anyway.

“I wanted to feel like I had earned the medal,” she said, “so I had to run the race.” 

With the lakefront closed, it’s been difficult for runners to find a good route to run on. 

“I was running on the university campus and I saw a bronze cow in the Law School building,” Ms. Anderson said. “And then in Washington Park there were some ducks in the lagoon, so it’s given me a chance to see some different things that I hadn’t seen before.”

Will, on the other hand, doesn’t put much thought into where he runs, as long as he gets to be out of the house.

“I just go where the street takes me,” he said. “Running gives me an excitement that cannot really be explained.”