Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Who loves running ...


You probably all know by now that I love running, especially long distances ... but I wanted to dedicate a post to why I love running!

Why do I love running?

  • I love running because it an amazing way to make friends and build a community! The cross country team was my family in college and I can honestly say I planned my whole future life and made some big life decisions on the trails in DePauw's nature center running with my cross country girls. Just think of all of the interesting things the trees have heard in that park =)
I am absolutely obsessed with the book - Mile Markers: 26.2 Most Important Reasons that Women Run by Kristin Armstrong and there are so many quotes that relate to my love of running and friendship:

"I noticed during our conversations yesterday that we are are free to talk about our lives, the good and the bad, without judgement. As far as I can tell, no women feels compelled to take ourselves up or take the ourselves down a notch with the useless self-deprecating remarks that are often typical in other social areas. A running group can be such a unique and supportive group of friends."
    • Also, I met my hubby while running! He was on the track team at DePauw! 
    • Since leaving collegiate cross country, running has brought me so many new friendships! There is something about running next to someone and working hard together that can just bring you together. Also, when you are training for a marathon - you can really get to know someone over a 20 mile long run!
  • I love running because it is my escape. It is a time that is just for me and I can use it as a stress relief, I can think through things (or blog post ideas!), or I can not think at all. 
  • I love running because I can watch the whole world slowly wake up on my early morning runs. Watching the sunrise as I am getting in my daily miles is amazing. I cannot comment on early morning running without linking it back to friendships ... so many great early morning runs with my old roomie, Kate, and now with friends in my condo complex!  
Another perfect quote about AM running from Kristin Armstrong,
"As usual with our early morning sisterhood, we talk about everything under the sun. Our conversation dips and dives like hummingbirds; one second we land on shallow topics, the next something sweetly intimate, flitting from one to the next with ease and grace. We never talk like this at parties, restaurants, school gatherings, community functions, football practice, or play dates. The blanket of darkness adds a shroud of privacy, the pounding footfalls a buffer."
    Santa 5K in Indianapolis with Roomie!
  • I love running because it is the sport that put my weight into perspective and got me on the right track. I can now look back to my high school years and say that I was underweight and unhealthy. After becoming best friends with one of the best runners in the state of Missouri, I decided to give it a shot too and I realized that to perform at my best - I needed to fuel my body correctly. In addition, in college I met all of my amazing cross country teammates who had a healthy relationship with food and it put everything into perspective and I can honestly say running helped me work through everything! 
  • I love running because it forces me to unconnect and look around. Being a newbie blogger and just being a yuppie in this generation, I feel like I am constantly looking at my phone or the computer ... running is a time to disconnect and just take advantage of nature 
  • I love running because it is my FAVORITE way to explore a new city or location. 
  • I love running because it is a pretty darn cheap form of exercise and pretty simple. You just put some shoes on and go put one foot in front of the other. 
  • I love running (especially long distances), because you get what you put into it! A marathon is a daunting distance, but if you are willing to log the miles and work hard through a training plan - you can achieve your goal and crossing that finish line feels so good!
Color Run 5K 
  • I love running because it is competitive, but it can be competitive at different levels. The Kara Gouchers, Ryan Halls, and Kenyans of the world are in their own competitive sphere of amazingness and some of their times and accomplishments just blow my mind - but running also allows us "normal folk" in the running community to compete. We can compete against ourselves, or even against the girl next to you as you both push to the finish line. If you have worked hard and finish a half marathon in 4 hours or in 1 hour and 30 minutes, you were competing and should be proud ... and next time you can work hard and compete to beat that time!
  • I love running because it is part of my identity and I love being a runner and part of the runner world.

Writing this post has made me want to go out for a run! It has reminded me how lucky I am to be able to log all of the miles I have and formed all of the bonds I have through this sport.
As corny as this sounds, running is more than just a sport, it is a lifestyle ... and I am proud and grateful to live that lifestyle! 

What is something that you love and some reasons why??

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Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian (yet). My blog is simply a snapshot of my everyday life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. Though I am a certified fitness instructor, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.