On Running

I love to run. There is something about it that makes me happy before, during, and after. I have no romantic ideas about it. It's not the wind rushing through my hair. (I mean, who am I kidding? I'm not going that fast.) It's not that I feel particularly glamorous when running. I love the sweat, the way I breath, and the rush of endorphins.

On the girly side, I love running clothes and running shoes. And on the human side, I love the community, the idea that there are millions of people who run and we all do it for similar reasons. I love passing people running the opposite direction and giving a nod of acknowledgment. On the health side, I know that running is good for my heart, it keeps me lean, it strengthens my muscles, and gives me energy.

2007 Country's Midnight Express

So, you get it. I love to run. And I love everything about it. I get new shoes every six months. I read "Runner's World." I try and eat what they say runners should eat and I have pretty much cut everything but water and juice out of my liquid diet. Whoo-Hoo. Go me.

In all of this, I struggle. Time, motivation, time. It is something that I love, but something that I have to schedule. I can think of a million excuses not to get up in the morning, what I have to do after work, why I need to go to bed early. I know that once I hit the ground I am going to be just fine, it's getting there that's the hard part.

This past summer, I ran with my friend, Sam, a number of times. After awhile, Sam asked if we could really run and not "fake" run. I started to realize that I was half jogging, half speed walking. Since then, I have be dedicated to actually running. And this year, I have committed to becoming better at setting a reasonable pace for myself that is actually running. I have also committed to not putting running off. It will not be the thing that I say "no" too. It will be a regular part of my day. It will be something that I do for me.

Want to read what I read? Check out Runner's World.