Two years ago I couldn’t run more than two miles without stopping. Yesterday, I finished a ten mile run for the first time. What changed? Well, I did. Running, which had once been the punishment to all my favorite sports, has since become my go to past time. Never in a million years would I have guessed that I could love an exercise this much. As recently as a few months ago I couldn’t be bothered to tie up my laces and go out for an hour or so. And yet, here I am, feeling better about myself than I can remember feeling in a long time. You might be thinking "I’m not fast, I hate to run, running can’t do anything for me." Well, frankly, I am here to prove those negative thoughts wrong.
Unless you’re planning on turning running into a profession (which very few people actually accomplish) then you don’t need to be fast to run. Even Confucius knew this when he said, “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” Some of my favorite runs have been my slowest because it gives me a chance to look around. So often when we travel we are distracted by so many other things. Either we are walking around with our faces in our phones or driving and focusing on, well, driving. But, when you go for a run, take your time and notice that beautiful tree that just started to change color. Count the number of dogs you pass and watch lovers strolling along hand in hand. In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
If you hate to run ,don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Some days I wake up with the intention to run and then just can’t quite pull myself out of bed. The only thing I can say is that I have never felt worse after a run than I felt before. Sometimes the thrill of the exercise is the fact that you can feel good about yourself when you finish it. It feels great when you’re all sweaty and tired and panting and yet grinning ear to ear because you just accomplished something so tangible and real.
And as for what running can do for you, it can do whatever you want it to. Some people run to get in shape. Some people do it to lose weight. Some do it so that they can train and get fast. As for me, I run because it makes me feel strong. As someone who has always been self-conscious about my legs, running makes me feel powerful. It shows me what my body is built to do. I can crush a 6 mile run because my legs are able to carry me that far. It allows me to be in control of my thoughts, my actions and in turn my feelings. Runner’s high is definitely a real thing.
Obviously, not everyone will have their life improved by running. Some people might try it and hate every second. For those people, I say, give it one more chance and then decide. Through all the shortness of breath, sore muscles, blisters and sweaty clothes I know that at least for me it has been worth it.
