Thinking Out Loud: Running Survey

Switching up my Thinking Out Loud for a fun National Running Day survey I saw floating around yesterday. Considering just about every day is running day for me, I figured I'd post it a day late. ;)

Why do you run?
I run because... well... that's just what I do. It originally started out as a way to lose weight about 10 years ago and slowly morphed into one of my biggest passions. I run because it's my coffee in the morning, my therapy when I'm having a bad day, the kick in the ass I need on a lazy day, and it's my "me" time. I run because I love it and love the feeling I get from it.

How do you plan to celebrate National Running Day?  
I celebrated with a 7.5 miler yesterday morning. I usually take Wednesday's pretty easy on the running front but made an exception this week. :)

How many miles have you run so far this year?  
Oh boy... before last Monday I was right around 1,015 for 2015. I'd say by the end of this week I should be right around 1100.

What big events do you have on the race calendar so far this year?  
Besides my first marathon in November (Richmond!), I'll just be running some smaller races throughout the summer. I'll probably end up signing up for another half sometime in September or October. I also plan on running another Spartan Race or two.

Before you leave for a run you must have:  
My phone, sunglasses (even if it's raining... I can't run without them!), a good playlist, compression socks if it's a longer run, and my GPS watch. That's about it. Obviously when I started upping my mileage for marathon training I'll be packing fuel as well.

Do you have one favorite app to track your runs?
Nike running. I'm a competitive person so I like being at the top of the leader board. ;)

Who is your favorite running partner?
My boss and I have some pretty killer runs usually. We have the same mentality when it comes to health/fitness so we're always pushing each other to go further and faster. We like doing what others won't or don't want to do. :) We also get some good convo's in and get a lot of "work" related talk done. Much better than having a meeting in an office, right?!

What races have you run so far this year?  
Let's see.. I ran a 10k in Asheville, my Kentucky Derby half in April, I ran a 5k in May, and a half relay in April as well. Not many so far this year.. although starting next week, I'll have a race every single weekend for a month straight. :)

Describe your relationship with running in one word: 
Incredible.

National Running Day!

Happy National Running Day! I normally don't post on Wednesday's but, hello! It's one of my favorite holidays!

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.

...runner's high. Enough said.

...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?