Running and What It does to Me

Running has always been a favorite past time of mine... even as a young softball player, running around the field for warm up had motivated me to want to go the distance and run that extra mile. When I started running in high school, it took on a new meaning. It wasn't just something I did to pass the time anymore, it was a new calling. It was a thrill that excited me enough to jump out of bed in the morning and want to run with the rising sun (most mornings I will).

My boyfriend thinks that I am crazy for waking up early in the morning or going out even with the girls at practice, but even when in a competitive state, running is my high. Drugs, drinking, smoking, none of that could thrill my mind as much as running does. When I breath in the air that sweeps along my face, I know that some how I'm running with the wind; it carries my every stride and whispers to me to never quit and to never back down when I hear the approach of the other girl's shoes behind me. When I go out for a long run, however, that's when I receive my ultimate high.

I can day dream, get lost in the lines on the pavement, or lose myself in the sights and sounds of the woods if on a trail run. Just today, I was day dreaming, closing my eyes every couple of seconds to picture myself running towards the finish line of a big race. I imagined running into the arms of my loved ones, all waiting to pat me on the back and congratulate me. However, it is not the winning of a race or the pats on the back that I crave the most out of competing in a race; it's the adrenaline pumping through my veins, the sweat on my brow, and the taste of blood in my mouth that I crave the most. Running is the most primordial sport in the world, so when you put yourself out there, you become as Jack London put it, "the primordial beast."

It's a being that awakens itself inside of you, pushing you to your limits and then kicking you in the butt telling you to go further than you have ever gone before. Truth be told, I am addicted to running, but since I know I have an addiction, I can have some control over it.

Like most addicts, I can't live without the high I get from it. If I can't even get out to do a simple 2 mile run, my legs feel more painful than they would if I had finished a 12 mile long run. My knees lock up, my hands start shaking and my bones feel like Jell-O. My mother worries, and I don't blame her for it; I worry myself sometimes, too. So here is my caution to all you would be athletes who wish to aspire to running great heights:

Do not mess with this sport. We runners may look like we're bored or tired or just wanting to die, but it's how we feel at the end of the run that keeps us coming back for more. It's deadly, it wraps you up in its glory and kicks you in the head once its got a hold of you............

So what does running mean to me?...

Running to me is a way of life, it's inspiration to make every day better than the last.

And if you ask me why I run, I can only ask you a question in return:

"Why do you Breathe?"

Peace to all,

and to all a good, happy, and healthy life.