When you take away running from someone who solely defines themselves as a runner, a piece of them dies. Not the whole being, but a pretty large part of them! Their life feels over, and they suddenly have no purpose.

They'll be in a terrible mood 24/7, you can find them eating their feelings in ice cream, and they'll be wanting to run over other runners with their car. I wish I was kidding. But then, when you take running away, strange things can happen.

1. You learn to love being stationary.

Sounds crazy, right? Nope. When you can't run, it's a great time to sit around and watch your favorite Netflix shows. At first, you'll be itching to run, craving a nice #SweatSesh, and feel like the laziest person ever. But embrace it.

Be the couch potato you've always wanted to be; you have the perfect excuse! This is one of the only times you can sleep in on the weekends because you don't have a long run. You can have a huge breakfast with your family and get to church on time.

You will wake up and be okay with not running today. Suddenly, laying on the couch with snacks doesn't sound so terrible after all.

2. Once you're done being lazy, you'll find a new passion.

I never thought I'd see the day where I was content without running, but I finally am. I know that lacing up for a run isn't the only way I can deal with my problems.

There are other outlets. The beautiful thing about being able to move your body is that you learn it is capable of amazing things, things you've never let it experience. Maybe your true passion is weight lifting, cycling or swimming, but you never gave yourself the chance to try.

Change is scary but so rewarding. Now is the perfect time to let your heart discover new passions.

3. It gets easier.

How? With patience.

Every day is a little more bearable. Another day without running passes by, and it just feels like another day. My day wasn't complete unless I ran at least eight miles. Now I struggle to run one. But I am still alive, I'm still breathing, and you learn that's more than enough.

You will soon realize that there are more important things in life than miles ran and calories burned. Exercise is great, but so is mental health. I had days where I couldn't find it in me to leave my bed, and now I wake up ready to conquer the day.

Put one foot in front of the other, but don't just go through the motions. Believe that you are strong enough to overcome this. Life may feel pretty sucky right now, but God is still good.

4. You are still you.

I know you think you are a runner, which you are. But you are also so much more. You are a parent, a brother/sister, a friend, a student; you still have roles to fulfill. Don't forget who you were before you started running.

I know running may be your life; it is your best friend and your therapist. But it is not your everything. Do not lose yourself just because you lost it.

5. Learn to let people in.

There will be people in your life who tell you it is going to be okay. Those people are great, but you also need the people who let you call them crying. You will push the ones you need the most away. You'll say and do things you don't mean. But your family and friends love you; they know this is a hard time for you.

Express to them how you really feel. Being "fine" is overrated. Tell them you're irritated, frustrated, and losing hope. Get a friend who knows exactly what you're going through. You will need that person more than you know. Have a family member who cries with you.

DO NOT, I repeat, do not shut people out. I know you think you're invincible and no one will ever understand. I guarantee you there is at least one other person out there who has experienced the pain you are going through. Let them in.

Tomorrow is not promised, neither are any of your passions. What I learned is that anything can be taken away from you at any given time, without any warning or any explanation, and it doesn't seem fair. But you will overcome it.

You will learn that the sun will still rise, the leaves will still change, and the world will still spin. Nothing is guaranteed, so when you lose your passion, know that you were not entitled to it. It was a gift. But so is your life. You are still here, still breathing, still thriving, without running.

So, do what you can. Go for a walk, a bike ride, a swim, or dance around your room. Cherish the things you can do, and don't focus on the things you can't.

When you take away running... you gain weight.

KIDDING!... kind of.

But you gain back your freedom to say "yes" to things you can't while you're in training. You can go out to eat nachos or get drinks with your friends. You can stay up until 1 A.M. because you don't have to run at 6 A.M. before work.

You get to choose what to do that will make you happy. You gain a love for new activities that set your soul on fire. You find out you are stronger than your toughest days.

So, when you take away running, you gain back your life.