WHY I LOVE TO RUN

If you have to ask I can't explain, for if I do you still won't get it.
"You run all that way" they say. "That's so awesome" they say. "But why?" they ask.
Only a runner knows what a runner knows. It starts the moment you lace those shoes and head out the door.

Why do I run? I run for absolutely no reason at all and I run for every reason I can think of.

I run because I can. I run for those who can't. I run to feel alive and push the boundaries. The boundaries of what I think my body can still do. I run for joy, I run for freedom. I run to feel at peace, for it is in that run where my world has an order. Many people start running as a form of exercise and to loose weight. Some start to quit smoking and to get off the couch or to feel a sense of community and comradeship as they join the local running group. Yes, that is how it starts for many. For me its just the shear act of moving forward. That complete sense of freedom. Left, right, left, right. I hear that steady rhythm and then I am floating. It is in that moment when you are no longer aware that you are running, that you become one with the road.

Running satisfies my wanderlust.

As the road is life and your feet it's song,
composing the music as you run short and long,
with each step taken, amidst whispers and throng,
realize your destiny, for it is here in running
where you truly belong

Short runs, long runs, tempo, steady and fartlek are all the runners lingo. LSD...no it is not a drug. It stands for long, slow, distance. That is my favorite. That is when the true run really begins. Nothing is in your way. You are at one with the road and with nature.

Sometimes I run with music, especially on the shorter runs, sometimes not. Sometimes I just need to hear the sounds of life. The birds, the wind, the babbling brook, the rush of the river, the ocean swells. The stillness of the woods, the soft tapping of my feet on the gravel or the asphalt.

It really isn't about your time, the number of miles or the most expensive shoes. It's about you. About pushing yourself, your mentality, your limits of what you can do mentally and physically. At the end of the day the competition is yourself. Look in the mirror. You can be your own worst enemy and your very best friend.

There are few universal truths to running, it's really actually quite simple and the outcome really depends on you and your input. As you sow so shall you reap. You just put one foot in front of the other. When I run I feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. It is among the best exercises for physical conditioning of your heart and lungs. Your stamina increases and yes you will loose weight.

Equally important running just like other forms of exercise is a great cure for stress, emotional strain, and mild depression. I have fewer headaches, more patience, more creativity, better humor and I sleep better. All around I feel much happier. It actually eliminates a need for shopping. lol

When you are in a meditative state you are in a receiving mode. You are in the mode of gratitude and you start receiving all the wonderful gifts this world has to offer. Running is really 90% mental. The rest just follows along.

You can see the world up close. Running has allowed me to see a world I would not ordinarily see from my couch or even from my car. I have run on every terrain. In large cities, small towns, along rivers, lakes and the sea wall. I have heard the surf, the wind and felt the pounding of the rain. I have run through trails and parks and meadows. Dusty hot roads and icy slippery ones. I have run in crowded places and have been the lonely runner on the road. I have experienced heat and extreme cold, torrential downpours, sleet, thunder and searing heat. Bugs and slush. I have run with pain and through pain. Slow and fast. I have been near the front, in the middle of the pack and dead last. But oh the beauty: wild flowers, hills and dales, pristine farms, and huge skyscrapers, views that are a photographer's dream. Fresh spring green, lush summer fields of wild flowers, spectacular fall colors and a winter wonderland of white. Fields and fields of sunflowers, boats in the harbour, salt marshes and nesting spots for migratory birds. I have seen ducks, geese, swans, thousands of birds, skunks, pheasants, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, coyotes, porcupine, turtles and snakes and even a fox. I travel often to run and I take in the experience of every place I go. I partake in what each community has to offer. I learn about what they do and eat their food and visit their establishments.

When you go to running events large or small you meet like minded people with the same passion. You share a comradeship on a very interesting level. Each event is unique and each one has something special to offer. Of course there is always the bling. Some choose no bling, some choose to display bling. I for one enjoy some of the bling. The bling reminds me of that day, that event, that challenge. That special memory.

The greatest reward however is on a metaphysical level. Yes, metaphysical. It is the least tangible benefit of running and the one that motivates me to persist. You spend so much time with yourself and your thoughts, that you can't help but increase your self awareness. It is almost like a meditative state and your worries slip away.

Your confidence increases as you push new limits, meet new goals, and exceed your limitations. Running is a sport of discipline, sometimes of sacrifice and self reliance. The personal rewards are quite powerful. I plan on running for a very very long time.

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