Little by little

Is anything more synonymous with shirtlessness than jogging?  Not to my mind.  And though I generally prefer to do my aerobic exercise in the gym, I occasionally go for a run outside when getting there isn't feasible.

Today was one of those days - I was pressed for time, so I took a short (approximately two miles) run around some of the nearby neighborhoods.  I was shirted for most of it, but worked up the gumption to take it off and run bare-chested for a brief while on one of the more secluded residential streets.  What a difference!  I went from feeling hot, sticky and gross in my sweaty t-shirt to feeling cool and free with my torso exposed to the breeze.  It even made me pick up the pace a little! 

As I approached a more populous area, I chickened out and put my shirt back on (I'm still not fit enough to be seen by the general public), but then removed it again as I approached the side door to my building.  I kept it off as I walked down the hallway to the mail room; perhaps it's strange, but I was more comfortable risking being seen by my neighbors than by strangers on the street.  Still shirtless, I got on the elevator, passing a middle-aged woman who averted her eyes as she got off.  For the rest of the walk to my apartment, I didn't encounter anyone else.