One question that will almost inevitably come up whenever I meet a new person is: What do you like to do for fun? And for over half my life now, one of my main answers is running. And most of the time, the response is some variant on “I could never” or “Better you than me.”Â
And sure, I get it. I ran Cross Country in high school, and an essential part of the sport is complaining about your suffering. But, running has given me, and others, so much over the years, and honestly, more people should do it. So, I’m going to do some reflection on what running means to me, and hopefully persuade you to give it a try.
strength and will
Most people know that regular exercise does wonders for your mental health. Running allows you to focus on physical pain to distract from the Horrors. Running gave me an outlet that allowed me to turn my brain off and just listen to my body for a while. Everyone needs that at least sometimes. Most of the stuff I do outside of running is connected to reading, writing, or both. And while I enjoy all of those things, it is nice to do something completely different every once in a while.
Mind and Motivation
Running gives me the motivation to set goals for myself. If you are the type of person who is constantly working towards that unattainable threshold of self-improvement then running will provide you with that goal. Whether it’s staying healthy, working towards a particular race, or just getting faster—there’s something for everyone!
Spirit and Community
I will be the first to say that I am not the most sociable of people. However, running has connected me with some of the best people I have ever met. The friendships have been deepened by the presence of running, because once a person has thrown up in front of you, you are pretty much bonded for life. To know that someone has your back 100% is one of the best feelings and the world. While running helps me combat the Horrors, there’s something about community that gives it a boost.
The Overall Package
I am a better person than I would have been if I had not started running. I would have been as healthy—both mentally and physically. I would have not met some of my best friends if I had not decided to run. Overall, I guess I just want to give people a taste of what running has done for me, and what it can do for them.