This year, I was tracking 2 of my cousins and a friend and was hoping to see them cross the finish line. Running the Boston marathon is a BIG deal. And I hope I can do it one day. Just gotta shave large amounts of time off my race pace. :) But watching all those people cross that finish line got me thinking about running. And why I'm compelled to do it.
Here's the truth about running for me.
It's not always easy. Or fun. In fact, more often than not, it's HARD. And it hurts.
But there's something about running that cleanses the soul. Clears the mind. Squashes the stress. And makes life feel just a little bit (or sometimes a lot) better.
Running is a lot like parenthood. 90% of the time it's hard. And painful. And sometimes you'd rather not do all that hard stuff. But then there's the other 10%. The days where you feel like you could run forever. And you feel great. And strong. And "light". And that 10% of running euphoria makes the other 90% worth fighting through.
I love to run. But I didn't always feel that way. I remember one of my college roomates was an accomplished marathon runner and I used to think she was crazy. Why on earth would anyone want to run that far and hurt that much? And then I ran one. And I understood.
There's something pretty profound about pushing your body to its limits. And forcing your mind to be stronger than the pain. The feeling that comes after a race (and even during) is why all those "crazy" people run long distance races.
And I don't run every day. My main source of exercise when i'm not training for a race is either Insanity, T-25, or Body Pump. But when I really need some good think time and soul cleansing, I run.
The hardest part about running for me, is the first 5 or 10 minutes. Even though I enjoy running (usually when I'm done), it's often hard for me to get myself going. And sometimes, I can tell within the first 5 to 10 minutes what kind of run I'm going to have. "This one is going to feel good", or "I'm going to hurt the entire time." But once I've determined how far I'm going, I always just do it. Good or bad. I do the miles.
If you think you weren't cut out to be a runner, read the book "Born to Run". You might change your mind.
Oh, running. It's not just for criminals.
