10 Reasons to Love Running

I don’t generally celebrate made-up holidays but I am ALL IN for National Running Day! It’s basically my personal holiday. To celebrate, I’m going on a fun casual run tonight with some friends, followed by a picnic catered by one of my favorite restaurants (Village Juice) at one of my favorite downtown Winston-Salem spots (Bailey Park).

I found this post in my archives and thought it was worthy of re-sharing since all of these things are still so true — maybe even more so. What’s not true anymore? Running in Vibrams, like you see in the picture below! So funny to think I ran in those for 5+ years! (Here’s why I started running in them and here’s why I stopped.)

10 Reasons to Love Running

10. It’s when I feel the most me. People often ask me how I stay motivated to run and while there are definitely days I procrastinate getting out the door, running more about a lifestyle than it is something I check off my to-do’s. I don’t feel like myself if I go too long without running.

9. The way it helps me think through problems. 

8. The way it helps me think about  nothing at all. 

7. The way I feel after a REALLY GREAT run. And even better is the feeling after a REALLY GREAT run that you almost skipped.

6. Experiencing and appreciating mornings. I love morning time–hands down my favorite time of day. I used to be an evening runner and have transitioned to an AM runner since moving to Winston-Salem nearly 11 years ago, and I love running in the mornings, particularly outside. (Well, unless it’s freezing cold!) I love the quiet streets and the morning light. I love starting my day with fresh air. Experiencing early mornings create such a peaceful start to my day, and I wouldn’t experience that nearly as much if it weren’t for running.

5. Pushing my body past its limits and learning what it’s capable of. I never ever thought I’d run a half marathon below 1:55, so I still get giddy thinking about my current PR (1:31). I never thought my body could move to the tune of a 7 minute pace and I did repeats yesterday in the low 6s. The body is an amazing thing and capable of so much. (Here are my tips to run faster, if that’s one of your goals!)

4. Seeing other’s accomplishments. I love running races with friends and loved ones and even strangers and seeing their faces after a race. (Well, damn, I didn’t realize I loved it that much, but I’m getting teary picturing my mom finishing her first marathon and thinking about running the BolderBoulder 10K with my husband!) Whether you call yourself “fast” or “slow” or a “mid-packer” you got out there and pushed yourself. And there is something so awesome about that.

3. All the friends and acquaintances I’ve made through running. Seriously, nearly all of my friends in Winston-Salem have been made through running. And it’s an instant bonding topic no matter where you go. “Oh you’re a runner? Me too!”

2. The friendships that have grown closer as a result of running together. Some of my very best friendships were formed over runs. There’s something hard to describe about running friendships…but for me, I become a bit more vulnerable and open and talk about things I normally wouldn’t talk about.

1. The fact that I’m still a runner even on days I don’t run. 🙂

What do you love about being a runner?

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