The run-mute and the real meeting of Metropass (hint: pass)

I hate commuting. Detest it. Something about cramming into a subway/sub/streetcar after work, at which point, I will join the masses of other exhausted people on our way home. I've loved being within walking distance of work. Love it. Lets me avoid the commute.

So when I took my new job, $121 went into a Metropass, a cost I am quickly finding very much not worth it. I'll note at this point that the $121 would easily go toward buying a new pair of shoes if I bought it south of the border.

The possibility of being that guy who runs with a backpack after work was closer to being real. I looked the map and that 30-40 minutes to work by streetcar/subway looked really really short. Four miles? Whatever, that's a recovery run.

So I decided to run home from work at least two days a week.



Of course, being the rookie, I've been a bad planner. One day, I forgot my shorts. Then on a day I at least packed my shoes, shorts and T-shirt, I forgot my running socks, so I ran with my black socks (yes, I rolled them down). Now, I'm at the point where I'm planning to run at least three days a week (Fridays I'll bring my stuff back home).

And as it turns out, from door to door, it's taking me 30 to 32 minutes (not including watch pauses), pretty much the same time I'd spend in a crammed vehicle wishing I was running.

So it' s no backpack for me. All I need is my running gear, my headphones, a water bottle and a little pouch to carry that expensive pass. If I'm going to pay $121 for a transit, might as well carry it in style, all while I run-mute.