Whether you have been running since you left the womb or started as an adult, or maybe it is a goal of yours to start, you know the impact the sport can have on someone. At any level, running is unlike anything else. The challenging aspect either attracts you or repulses you. I think it can be difficult as a solo activity at first. The sport attracts such cool people and even though there are tons of run clubs out there, I have noticed that finding people to run with who give it their all is quite hard to come by. Unless they have a team and are running at an elite level, self-motivation is incredibly difficult. And I get it. I am an all-or-nothing person, so the concept of “running for fun” is confusing to me. I am currently running for fun and struggle to remember why I am even running most days. I enjoy running, but I am never done, there is never a final goal.
There is this in-between state of people who just like to run for fun and people whose lives revolve around running. I think many of us love running and challenging ourselves and want to get faster but not to qualify for a race or go pro. I lack natural talent and have never won a race, but I like to work hard and get out there. I like to see what not only my body can do, but what my mind can do. Running requires resilience, mental toughness and consistency. It is such a gritty sport.
I fell in love with running at the ripe age of 15. I had just gone through a challenging part of life and knew it was something I wanted to do. I was so bad at running as a child, which naturally, made me want to be a runner. There was a point where I could not run more than a couple of feet without having to stop. It was a gradual process but at my first cross-country practice, I ran two miles. The next week I ran four miles at one practice, and I remember being so proud of myself. I had no drive to be fast at first because I felt so blessed to be able to run at all. The following year I started to care more about improving, which had me surprised to see that I could run a lot faster if I just let myself. When I started to run with the people whom I never thought I could run with, a switch turned on. I was ready to finally be competitive and get to work!
Being able to achieve things that did not even feel possible at one time is such a cool feeling. I am now a turkey trotter. I casually ran a half marathon this weekend. As cool as all the achievements can be, there is a nuance in what it really means and does for me. I find value in running but running is not my purpose. Because I am never done setting goals, when is the time going to come when I am finally satisfied? That time does not exist, which is why no one can find their identity in running or anything else that is not eternal. Enjoying the small milestones is important because there will never be a time when a person is satisfied with their fitness. There is always going to be another milestone to hit. Today it is cool to run a half marathon, tomorrow the full marathon is looking more appealing. It is never-ending!
There are good and bad that come with the constant need to be better. I think the most important thing to remember is why you are running. Finding a good community to run with can be a game-changer. I met most of my best friends on runs. Being able to catch up with a friend on a run is one of my favorite things to do. The sport has many layers to it. I have learned it is a great way to build my confidence and ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances in life. Running has done so much to help me combat my depression.
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