I used to run quite a lot while growing up. I was in some kind of sport (soccer, track, and cheer) from middle school until I graduated high school and ran in my free time as well as during practices. I have never considered myself to be an avid runner and since high school I have not consistently worked out. Truly carving out the time for me to run, stretch, and exercise just has not been a priority of mine – I didn’t have the time and with walking to class and working, I didn’t necessarily need to run to get some exercise in.
Obviously now, times are much different. I have a lot more time on my hands given the state of the world, and I have picked up running again. While I’m definitely not perfect at it, and my ankles burn, and sometimes I don’t want to do it, I’m beginning to learn to love it. I love the feeling of accomplishment I have after I complete three miles and the ache in my body the next morning after I really pushed myself. As cliché as it sounds, the time I take to run has become relaxing and cleansing. I’m able to just think – about my past, present, and future. During my runs I feel a sense of mental clarity that I haven’t felt in quite some time; with being so physically and mentally busy I didn’t realize the necessity of exercise within my life.
While I don’t run all the time, and I’m not the fastest or best at it by any means, it has given me an outlet for my stresses, anxieties, and responsibilities. On my runs I’m able to inhale the clean, crisp air and reflect on my past experiences as well as the things going on in my life currently. This has allowed me to be more internally reflective on my life and go to a place away from the current world and issues that can pervade and become overwhelming at times. I use my runs as my “alone time” and self-care – and this ritual has filtered into other aspects of my life as well. I’m working more productively, taking time out of my day to take care of myself in other ways, and eating healthier. These changes might not have happened if I had not taken up running again.
Running has given me a new piece of my life that I can look forward to – and it’s something I know I can run to when I need it in times of need. It’s given me new goals to look forward to, self-care for my physical and mental health, and well, the endorphins help, too. So, go on a run if you can (socially distanced, of course) and breathe in the fresh air!