For my whole life I've sided with the majority of people; I've always thought running was absolutely awful. "Why would you aimlessly run with no real destination in mind? My whole body will be sore in the morning, and don't you have to run like 80 miles to burn anything off anyway?" I simply hated the idea of it, and I certainly never ever actually went on runs myself. When I got to college, however, I decided (because college is all about trying new things) to try running. Baton Rouge is famous for "the lakes", one big four mile lake and one small two mile lake, close to campus; they are beautiful, dotted with amazing wildlife, picturesque views, and brilliant homes. I had a free afternoon one Tuesday, a rare occasion, and decided to go for it and run (run-walk) the big lake.
It was a perfect afternoon, which eliminated any possibility of the weather being an excuse to not go. I got my running clothes on, cued up my Spotify playlist, and set off. For about the first mile I was running comfortably and feeling really good. After the first mile and a half, I took a walking break and then continued to run after about three minutes. After repeating this pattern around the big lake I found myself right back where I had started in what seemed like no-time. While I was very tired, hot (gotta love that Louisiana humidity), and sweaty; I felt better than I ever had before.
As time went on I would walk less and less, run more and more, and run faster. And I can now say that I can successfully run the four mile lake without stopping. I've found that running doesn't need a destination, a goal, or anything really for that matter. Plug in your music, pick a trail or place to go, and dive in. Running is my personal time to unwind, think about what I accomplished, what I need to accomplish, and anything else I can possibly think of. I find myself truly getting lost in my thoughts and it is extremely therapeutic. When I run, it's my time and I can do whatever I want with it.
I think we consume ourselves with running a specific distance and running at a fast pace, completely ignoring the idea that you should run to make you feel good. I've learned through my recent endeavors that running is in no way shape or form evil. It is up to you to make it what you want it to be. If you want to go for times and run really hard; do it! If you just want to run-walk, go with a friend and chat, or run less than a mile; that is perfectly great too. Running doesn't have to be fast, long, or taxing. Make it what you want it to be and I promise you will find that you will love it.
