One of the first things I noticed when I got to school in Virginia was how many people ran outside. They seemed to be everywhere, at all times of day or night – people jogging through the main quad, students walking around in exercise gear, traffic jams as runners tried to navigate through slower-moving students on their way to class.
I was not a sporty person before I came here. My high school life was pretty hectic, and when I had time away from schoolwork I was too tired to work out. Even when I went to college in China and had a bit more spare time, working out was not part of my regular routine.
Coming to university here totally challenged my belief that working out is something you only do when you have lots of free time. I hear my friends say, “I have so much work to do,” and then a minute later, “I’m going for a run.”
One of my housemates is incredibly busy during the day, so she started getting up very early to make time for running. She is not obligated or forced to, but she wants to.