I am thankful for running.
In case you haven’t noticed by my pictures on this blog or my super slow half marathon times, I am not in the greatest shape. I wouldn’t even go so far as to say I’m in great shape. Probably even “good shape” is pushing it. 🙂 Nonetheless, I adore running.
I’m always thankful for running. I always know how much I love it, but being out for three weeks because of that sprained ankle drove me nuts! Now that I’m back from my short hiatus, I’m falling in love with running all over again.
A nice, long run(/walk) gently pushes stress off my shoulders. It says, “Hey babe, I am here for you. I promise to always and forever help shoulder your burdens, and remind you that you are in control of so many things… And, it’s time to give up worrying about things you can’t control.”
Running in events makes me feel as though I’m part of a humongous team of runners that surrounds me. We all have a common goal, and we’re there to encourage each other. While at the same time, it’s a very individual sport. I’m there to go at the pace I want, and to sometimes get lost in my own world as Michael Jackson jams pump through my headphones. I love that sense of individualism within a sense of community.
Running adds so much to my life. I don’t know what I’d do without it, and I think it’s incredibly silly that I ever lived a life without it!
As I said, I’m not fit. I am not an athlete. I’m a human being who needs to run. I don’t use running only to deal with stress. I use it to channel the excitement of good news. I use it as a time to ponder the things for which I’m thankful.
If you don’t run, I would love to challenge you to try. You don’t have to run far, just as much as you can handle. When I started, I could only run half a mile before I was pretty sure I was gonna die. Even still, I can’t straight up jog (without walking breaks) anything longer than a 5k.
Running is hard! But, I find it extremely rewarding.
You are not Paula Radcliffe or Deena Kastor – unless you are in which case, what? How did you find my blog? Please say hello! You freaking rock.
You are you. That means you run as fast as you can, and/or as far as you can, and whatever that is, is a success.
You can carry yourself wherever you want to go if you just free yourself to go there. So, let’s go!