New Hobbies

So, I, unlike some of my peers, am not:

a)  tending to a baby/chasing a toddler around
b)  planning a wedding
c)  working 14 hour days or
d)  a full-time student

It's not to say that I have some 'time on my hands', but in a way, I kind of do.  Some people might think I am at a point where I should be 'living it up', and I am, for the most part.  However, something is often forgotten - most of my friends might fall into one of the above categories.  A lot of teachers I know make the same comment - everyone envies their 'summers off', but none of their other friends have the same luxury so it sometimes leaves them bored.

Anyhow.

To combat this temporary 'boredom', I'm acquiring some new hobbies/interests/goals/etc.:

(in addition to my current dance class/blogging/facebooking/what have you):

--reading (read 16 books this year - halfway there!)
--doing push-ups
--jewelry making
--painting my coffeetable
--cooking/baking
--random arts & crafts
--buying a piece of art
--learning various google products better (step 1 - blogger)
--becoming certified in said products
--getting a butterfly tattoo on the small of my back
--running 3-5 miles at a time without stopping approximately once every couple weeks
--additional blog - www.friendsoftheprintedword.blogspot.com

I am quite open to further suggestions.  Your thoughts?  Any one else take on some new hobbies?  Looks like it's gonna be busy summer.

Running

This is my newest hobby - running. Let's face it - it's a good way to burn off the ADD energy. That, and it's a whole lot cheaper than joining a gym, and it gets me out of the apartment.

It's a lot harder than I thought. Which sounds dumb, I realize. But I am in relatively active shape, and I take a dance class once a week, so I thought I was in better cardio condition than I am apparently. The first couple times I tried this running thing, however, I could not go more than five minutes without stopping, and let's face it, I was going slow in the first place. I am, slowly but surely (pardon the pun), getting better. I need to figure out the actual distance I run - that might be worth something. That might give me something to work for. Hmm.

This being said - it seems like running is the hobby of a LOT of people, Chicagoans especially. There are over 45,000 registered for the Chicago Marathon!?!?! That is CRAZY. That many people want to run 26 miles NONSTOP!? I could understand lifetime runners who have always held it as a hobby, but this seems like a bit much. Why is it that so many people want to do this to their bodies?! It can't possibly be just to get in shape, because there are much easier and less painful ways to do this. Maybe it's that running a marathon makes one really, truly feel like he or she has accomplished something. I do understand people don't often get to feel this way. Hey, my greatest accomplishment to date is this blog. Have any of my readers ran the marathon?