I've talked about it before but I haven't always been a runner. Actually, for most of my life I haven't been a runner and didn't start until about 10 years ago, when I was 18, 200+ pounds, and not happy with how my life was going at the time. I wasn't motivated, I didn't have goals, I was just cruising along hoping that I'd figure out my life when I got to college.
Flash forward to today and my life is completely, TOTALLY different. Running completely changed my life. And I mean that with 100% honesty. Running has never been easy for me and it's something I've always had to work my butt off for.
So, in honor of National Running Day, I'm sharing why I run.
I run because...
...who needs coffee when you can get in a good 9 miler before work?
...the feeling of accomplishment is like no other feeling in the entire world.. seriously.
...it makes me feel like an athlete again.
...I really, really like chocolate.
...I was running low on t-shirts. ;)
...hitting a major PR means all of that hard work paid off.
...even on days when 3 miles feels like 13, I feel better once I'm done.
...my mind has never been stronger.
...I love the reaction from others when you tell them you're training to run 26.2 miles.... for FUN.
...I like winning. A lot.
...you can never have too many medals.
...I like having that time to myself.
...at one point I couldn't run.
...going from a 2 hour+ half marathon to running it in 1:36 and some change feels damn good.
...being in the top 100 (#52!) of the female division in a race with over 6,500 women feels even better.
but mostly, I run because running has been my outlet for the last 10 years of my life. I've run on good days, bad days, my wedding day, days when life seemingly wasn't going in the direction I'd planned... I've ran through it all. It's taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. It's made me realize that my body is capable of some impressive stuff. I've learned that the old adage "you can do anything you set your mind to" is 100% true. It's given me confidence. It's given me a community of awesome people who enjoy hearing about the crazy blister on my foot or the fact that I have 2 toenails missing. It's made me a goal digger. It's made dreams come true. It helped me land the love of my life.
It's made me the best version of myself.
If you run, why?
I run because all the cool kids do it! : ) And all the feel-good endorphins I get along the way doesn't hurt either ! I love how much running has positively affected your life. I really, truly feel, I would not be the person today with out it ! Hope you have a fantastic day celebrating my most favorite holiday! : )
ReplyDeleteI love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with running. Working hard and pushing yourself to reach goals is just an incredible feeling!
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