I started running about a year ago. I initially did it for health reasons in an attempt to lose a little bit of the weight I had gained in my first semester of college. I never imagined it would become a daily routine for me, the most important part of my life.

I now run at least a mile every day. It is my stress relief. Running takes my mind off of everything and lets me start fresh. I typically run in the morning, setting an important tone for my day.

Just a few months ago, I was running to compete with myself. To see how fast I could run, how far I could run, how long I could push my body. I would run for almost an hour a day, fighting myself the entire time.

Now, I run for joy. I run to pump blood through my body and feel alive. I run to celebrate the fact that I can.

It’s not always easy. Some days running a mile feels more like running a marathon. Some days it’s hard to fight the feeling that I’m not good enough to run, that I’m not fast enough or that I can’t run far enough. Those are the days that I know I need to run.

I run to shut out thoughts of inadequacy. I run to feel better about myself.

People like to draw distinctions in runners. Joggers, runners, sprinters. If you’re going faster than your walking place, you’re a runner in my mind. Running doesn’t need to be a competition. Running should be a release, an expression of yourself, a way to keep your mind and your body healthy.

People often ask me, “Why do you run?” thinking that I’m training for a race or marathon or only doing it to lose weight.

Because I’m a runner. That’s why I run.