Why running?
Just got done with a 5.5 miler, with Mark.. It’s absolutely gorgeous outside, which make for poor study habits. However, that balance between work and play is critical to health, as we all know. It usually doesn’t take much convincing for me to thoroughly enjoy free time!
So why would I devote a significant amount of this particular sport?? Simply, because I love it. I love that it can be done anywhere, anytime, for any amount of time. I love it because it is liberating and inspiring to push myself further, or go a bit faster. It entails simple, reachable goals, like completing a new distance, or charging up a big hill (like the 4-tiered one by my current residence… yikes). In completing each subsequent mile, I am continuously reminded that other feats, like running long distances, are attainable with a simple formula: dedication + joy. What better way to experience a new place than run through it? In recent years, this practice has been somewhat of a metronome for my sanity; throughout big moves and lengthy travels, I’ve been fortunate enough to rely on my runs as retreats during which I may gather my thoughts and form new ones. It’s also been a great way to channel excess energy, which, as some of you may know, can sometimes be a bit much.
More so, the running community has always been a positive presence for me. In team sports, run clubs, one-on-one time with Mom or a good friend, deeper bonds forge since everyone can relate to the exhilaration/fatigue/weather/etc. Every finish line has been full of enthusiastic supporters, and high-fives from those who finished before me. If we keep building on these fundamental support systems in sports to connect with each other, everyone will be better off..
I love running best for the sake of running, for its existence as nothing other than running, and that it will continue to be a part of who I am, wherever I go.
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