What is it about running?

I started running on January 6^th of this year. I had actually decided to run in November and started working with a coach towards that goal in December. I couldn’t run right away because I had some pain in my leg (as I write this I can’t even remember where the pain was), but I went to an osteopath and she gave me the OK to start running a bit in January.

Did I think I could run? Not really. Was I scared to do it? Hell yeah! The first time I ran one whole minute on the treadmill I felt like crying and kept thinking I couldn’t do it. And when I did, I was VERY surprised to find out that I hadn’t fallen or that I hadn’t broken the treadmill! Really!!!

I have now been running for almost 8 months. I ran an hour and a half this morning. I ran four 5ks this summer and I’m planning to run a 10k in September. Originally, my goal was to run my first 5k in September. Little did I know that my coach had other plans for me. Thanks to her, I have spent the last 9 months constantly surprising myself. Take a look at her blog: http://www.trimommylife.com/. She’s awesome!

So, what is it about running that keeps me going?

·  I love the feeling of getting a big breath of fresh air at the beginning of my day

·  It makes me feel like I’m achieving something special (not that many people run)

·  It gives me energy to begin my day

·  It allows me to see that I keep improving when I compare my results from one day to the next, from one race to the next

·  It makes me feel strong

·  I can do it!

·  It allows me to lose weight much faster

·  It makes me believe that I can try anything I want. If I could run this much when I never thought I could, what else could I do that I never thought I could?

If you are running, what is it that keeps you running? If you’re not running, I highly encourage you to give it a try. Don’t start too big though and do get a coach if possible. Even though running is something that we naturally know how to do, there are things you should avoid if you don’t want to hurt yourself! If you’re thinking “she’s crazy, there’s no way I can run”, all I can tell you is I’ve been there. A friend of mine once told me “anybody can tri” (meaning do a triathlon) and my response was “this isn’t just a little fat you know!”, but she maintained her position and said that some people walk during a triathlon (some triathlons anyways). All the while, I was thinking “if I ever do a tri, I won’t be doing it walking!” and that’s what made me want to run...eventually! So there we go, I am now a runner and I plan to be one as long as possible! You want to join me for a race?