Why I Run

Did anyone catch the NYC marathon this morning? Not only did I really want to watch it, but it served as a great excuse to not do my homework. I seriously can't imagine how it feels to run 26.2 that fast! I was so excited to get to watch a marathon (instead of being in one) and it made me super excited for Boston.

Like really, REALLY excited for Boston.

After watching the best of the best for three hours I was sufficiently pumped up to do 8 miles of my own. But to my surprise my 8 miler turned into a 12 miler.

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The great thing about running is that unlike a lot of other sports your aren't confined to a playing field. You aren't limited to a set amount of time. You don't have to wait for a team to get together to play or to practice. All you really need is a pair of running shoes. And maybe some water. 

Actually, yes, please have some water at the end for me. Thanks.

But seriously, what other sport allows you to see so much of the world?

Today, my legs wanted to run further and because it was such a beautiful fall day, so did my mind. I let myself enjoy enjoy it and kept going. I know there won't be too many days left before the snow comes and I'm stuck doing workouts inside with the folks at Exercise TV. Blah. 

I'm so fortunate that I took a chance and started running track and cross country in high school. I never would have imagined that it would have played such an important role in my life. I've met some of my greatest friends through running and I've had some of the most amazing experiences because of running.

Runners are a strange breed of human, but I like being part of that breed. There's no better feeling than realizing that you are capable of more. That you just ran faster than you ever thought you would. Or that you ran longer than you thought you physically could. 

Running is hard. It takes a lot of time, patience, and determination.  But what keeps me going day after day is the feeling I get while I'm out there: that feeling of living. That I'm alive.