Why I Love Running
BY KCY
My feet slapped the wet soft earth, turning my running shoes muddy in the process. But I didn’t care. I could feel my calves working, my hamstrings engaged, as my feet pounded on downtrodden leaves. I inhaled deeply, reveling in the crisp autumn air. Sweat precipitated underneath the bill of my cap. It glistened underneath my green long sleeved Dri-fit top. I pumped my arms, leaping over a falling tree trunk, landing first on my right and then my left, listening to the sound of the babbling brook next to my running path.
Just another one of my Saturday morning runs. This time, on the trails. My favorite.
I passed a fellow runner who was going the opposite direction. We nodded to each other and smiled. That secret smile we runners have. The smile that says, “yes, this is the best thing in the world!”
Thoughts ran through my head as I worked my body. I did my best thinking on my runs. It was where my head was the clearest, when I could make the most sound decisions. The decisions I made on a run were always the best decisions I ever made.
I started running in college. Not because I wanted to but because I’d gained the dreaded freshman fifteen and needed a quick way to lose weight.
That first day, I huffed and puffed my way, barely finishing a mile on the treadmill. It was miserable. I wanted to quit so bad, but I wanted to lose the weight even more, so I returned the next day, again, huffing and puffing my way through a torturous mile. It wasn’t any easier. On my walk home from the gym to my dorm, I wracked my brain for other ways besides running to lose weight quick. But I couldn’t think of any. So, the next day, I trudged to the gym to meet my opponent again.
After several weeks, things began to shift. My legs felt lighter on the treadmill. My breathing slowed. I began to look forward to running on the treadmill. It was my time. My time away from lectures, studying, parties, people. Just ME.
I wanted more, so I ventured outside, and I found that running was even better in the fresh air. My mind emptied. Both my body and my soul felt lighter. Running became less about being a way to lose weight and more about improving my overall wellness.
Some people call that a runner’s high. Maybe that’s what it is, but I’m still not sure if I’ve ever experienced a runner’s high. I just know that with running, I am my happiest.
Whether it be running or swimming or walking or even something as different as trampolining, we all can find an activity we enjoy. That doesn’t have to be so much work. That isn’t just exercise but a way to help us become whole.
There’s something out there for everyone. It will be difficult in the beginning. It will challenge both your body and your mind. But persevere, because I promise you, you will find your activity.
