Running has been a part of my life for over 30 years. Wow, that seems like so long and I guess it is. People have asked me why I run. I've never been able to give a complete concise answer to their question. I love the feel of my heart beating fast, my breath quickening, my body working to it's full potential. I like to feel the fresh air against my skin, see a deer in the morning light, smell the irrigation water in the fields. I enjoy listening to the new songs I downloaded. I like to run far from town and look back knowing that where ever I went, I did that on my own without a motor to help me. I like to come home and feel invigorated by a good work out. Sometimes I think of myself as an explorer imagining that I am the only person who has ever run on this remote road before. It is a quest of mine to find a road I have not run on yet in my area. It is getting harder and harder. Sometimes I imagine myself a famous runner with perfect form, running the race of my life. Then my husband snaps my picture and I am brought back down to earth as I criticize my flabby legs. I like being a part of like minded people huddling around the start of a race in the early morning cold. Runners are a crazy group and I like being a part of it. Not many people run in my area so that is the only time I can associate with other runners.
I am not a serious runner, a runner who is competitive in their age group (unless you count our local 5k). But, I am serious about what I do. I haven't always been serious about my running. I used to just run for fun or because I couldn't imagine not running. Now I still run for fun, but I am chasing the clock. I didn't really start entering races until about 5 years ago. I kick myself for not starting earlier. Now I can't imagine running without a race to prepare for. I think I was afraid to push myself before because I thought I might fail. I have had some successes and that has spurred me on to think, "Maybe I really can do this". I feel like my best running is yet to come. I still get a nervous gut ache when I prepare for an important workout like mile repeats or a long run. I think that's also why I like to run, the challenge of overcoming my fears. I'm getting better at not being so nervous before races.
I am by no means an expert on running I just play one on tv. Seriously though, I just needed somewhere to spout my feelings about running and here I am. If you want to spout your feelings about running, feel free. I would love to hear why you run. I came across an article in Running Times by a high school runner, Laura Weisberger, who stated so eloquently why she runs. I just want to copy it and quote it to anyone who asks why I run. Here is the link: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=26396 So, happy running!
