>>1218446(2/2)
So the moral of this story is twofold.
Firstly, its obvious that by overthinking the social repercussions, I ended up actually risking a really awful and bizarre confrontation with someone thinking I just committed a crime. It was just running. Its just hiking. Just do it.
Secondly, there is some value in taking small steps. This approach is essentially what a psychologist would have you do for any phobia - gradual, increasing exposure until you overcome it. So, I'd recommend finding an easy, level terrain footpath nearby that isn't frequently travelled. Drive by several times to make sure it looks like a small crowd. Then, on a day with poor weather or on a weekday (when less people will be out), just go on a 30 minute walk, turn around and go back to your car. Next, go on a weekend when people will be there, and go further. Keep increasing your exposure and eventually you won't even think about it.
That's basically what I did with running. I bought some fucking sweatpants/shorts, started running in a low trafficked bike path, increased my distance and the number of days I ran a week, started getting into different training methods, and now I run races regularly. The confidence from doing a difficult physical thing like this has bled over to other aspects of my life I'm sure, giving me confidence to start other hobbies (like skiing, backpacking, and so on). The hardest part is just going that first time, it will get easier each time after that.
Good luck!
