On this day, June 5, 2015, as I celebrate National Running
Day, here are my top five reasons why I
run right now.
5 – To be Social – to
cover miles and chatter away about anything and everything – work, guys, ideas,
frustrations, funny stories, it’s all fair game.
4 – To be Alone –
I still struggle with turning down invitations to do things when I’d rather be
alone, but when I have a run scheduled, I feel very comfortable saying ‘Sorry,
I’m doing an 11 miler that night! My
race is less than two weeks away and I want to be as prepared as
possible.’ On those days I’ll often
leave the iPod and gps watch at home and just go – wherever I want, at whatever
pace I want, think about everything or nothing, and soak up the
surroundings. This is often times the
fastest and most exhilarating way for me to regain my balance after a long
day. I’d probably be sitting in a jail
cell somewhere if I didn’t do this on a regular basis….
3 – To Feel Alive –
I love the feeling of not just occupying the space within my body, but being
fully engaged in it! I’m talking sore
legs, winded, tight core from yoga the day before, skin feels on fire because
it’s 80°
out kind of engaged. This skeleton, skin
and muscle of ours goes with us everywhere we go for our entire lives, and to
be able to run and feel like I’m shooting electricity through the whole thing
and lighting up my mind in the process feels nothing short of AMAZING. To me, that’s what life feels like.
2 –
Adventure! - There’s something about running without intention of where you’re
going to stumble across a great book store, coffee shop, beautiful house, or
expansive park. I love to run in new
places rather than drive or bike because you feel interactive with the
landscape. I say hi to everyone I see (and their dogs) and I LOVE that. I’ve run into old friends, secret trails,
amazing mountain views, moose, and protests to name a few, all because I set
out on foot without a direction. In just
a month I’ll be having countless running adventures in Italy and I can’t wait
to see where my feet and my faulty internal compass take me!
1 – Because
I Can. - I am very aware that age will catch up with me at some point (if I am
fortunate enough to live that long), and my long strides will turn into a
shuffle. My running shoes will be
replaced with sensible support shoes. (Okay, maybe not actually. I can see myself in Asics at 90!) My strong shoulders will eventually weaken,
and my sweat will come from walking up the stairs instead of bounding through
the mountains. Aging is inevitable, and
running allows me to tap into my own fountain of youth, run up the stairs two at a time, carry the 40
pound bag of dog food through Menards, help old ladies carry their groceries
out to their car, and quickly dart across the road to beat the traffic
light. I embrace this agility and ability every. Single. Day. Pushing my limits keeps me young, vibrant,
inspiring and human. And I will strive
to do this until I no longer can.
Happy
National Running Day my friends. Run
short, run long, just run. Because you
can. See you on the trail.
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