The definition of run as defined by Webster Dictionary is the move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all feet on the ground at the same time. Running is the closest thing we can get to flying.
From the front steps of my house down to the lake a mile down the road is the run I took every morning for years. I started running this route the day my mom said I could finally leave the comfort of our residential neighborhood. It was the summer before eighth grade and before my first junior varsity field hockey tryout. From that day to now, that has been my run. Whether it was at six in the morning to watch the sunrise or six at night to watch it set, I pushed myself to that lake with its sandy little beach everyday, regardless of the season. I took my dog there, and the neighborhood dogs I "babysat". When my sister got older I showed her the run and also ran it with my neighbors. I guess you could say it was my favorite place to run to. That little beach and lake was the place where my mind was empty and my thoughts were clear, and I got there by doing my favorite thing, running
Running has brought me miles from my starting point. Beating the pavement brings me places that I have found so much beauty in. It's brought me to places I wouldn't normally go to. Down dirt trails deep in the woods or next to the water on the beach, you can run anywhere. Breathing in the fresh air and seeing new sights is rejuvenating. Running allows you to see detail, far more detail than you could see driving in a car. Your easy consistent pace brings out colors and shapes, it doesn't blend the two together like the things you see while in the car. The miles your legs take you bring you to see unfamiliar and forces you to fully consume and be alert of every aspect of your surroundings.
I run mostly to clear my mind. The stress of school work, family life, and social life is just too much sometimes. All of that goes away the second I leave the house. In these moments I know my only focus is keeping a steady pace and my breathing consistent. Before a big test or after a big break up, running is my outlet. It may get my heart rate up, but it brings my nerves down. Nothing can bother me on my runs, and no one can bother me on my runs. There's nothing complex about putting on a pair of sneakers, and just going.
Going until you can't go anymore, until your body is aching and your shins are screaming at you is the feeling I thrive to feel every time I take off. They say it's the closest thing we can get to flying, and who wouldn't want to fly?
