If you’ve been following me since I first started writing you might’ve read my first article on this topic in How I Fell In Love With Running. If not, this article serves the same purpose.

I started running in June of 2016 for various reasons:

I wanted to experience what it was like being on a team.

I wanted to say I did a sport in high school, and have it to put on my resume.

I wanted an activity to do during college to keep off the freshman 15.

And I wanted to be in the loop with my various running friends. My article talks all about my beginnings of running, but not my continuation.

After cross country season ended I kept running. I joined the winter running club and did track in the spring. I even managed to make varsity a few times and ended up earning enough points for the team to receive the academic all-state first team award. It is one of my greatest accomplishments in high school because I worked hard but not to get that award, I worked hard because I wanted to, because I wanted to better myself and improve my time.

In college I found CSU’s running club. We’re called Striders. It was awkward at first. College is really awkward and weird at first but that feeling is a whole other article in itself. I came as often as I could and quickly became friends with everyone. There were even a few people who run at my pace and for that I am very grateful (I am not fast, I just like to run). Every practice is just like it was back on my high school teams, but better because we get to choose what we want to do every day.

I now have a group of friends who I know will be down to run whenever and who I can talk about anything with. If you’re a runner you know those mid-run conversations can get pretty deep. We have monthly team bonding events that I love. We even had a Christmas party and I thought it was adorable.

Running has brought and continues to bring so many new and amazing people into my life. I have or find a fellow runner everywhere I go. It has taught me to push my limits but also to have fun. It has taught me that I can do whatever I set my mind to with hard work and patience. It takes me on little adventures daily and helps me discover the beauty of nature.

It has also taught me that sometimes I'm going to have to make my own trail and get a little dirty, but it's all worth it in the end. It has taught me to cherish every little adventure, praise even the smallest of victories. It has taught me all of these things and so much more.

Anyone can be a runner, you just have to want it.

Get out there and go for a run today. I promise you it will change your life.