Running is crazy.
That’s an interesting statement coming from a runner. Let me explain.
Running is crazy. It taxes your body, takes a toll on your limbs. It’s tough. It’s one of the toughest sports I’ve ever played. Distance running is pure lunacy. Who really wants to run 13.1 miles? Or worse, 26.2 miles? Or god forbid the dreaded ultras and extreme ultras. Who are these strange creatures that thrive on pushing their bodies to the extreme?
I’ll tell you who. Me. And my husband’s boss. And my former OB/GYN. And many of my close friends. And thousands of other normal, every day people.
Why do we do it is another question. Running is addictive. But not in a bad way. In a great way. It makes you feel so great about yourself, about life. The more important aspect of how running makes us feel is that it trickles down into other areas of life.
Take for example a very stressful job. I know someone who is continually stressed out but he’s currently training for a marathon. In order to prepare, to run well, and to finish a 26.2 mile race, one has to take care of their temple. So instead of being stressed out and having a drink, he goes for a run. Running makes you think before you act. “How will this fettucini alfredo dish affect my 11 mile run tomorrow?” If the answer is, “not well,” a runner skips the meal in question and chooses another, healthier alternative.
When you’re a runner, you’re very attuned to your body. You know how food affects your moods, your energy levels, your endurance ability. You know that if you throw caution to the wind and pile on the processed sugars and heavy-fat dishes, your body will let you know you made a bad decision the next day on your run.
Likewise, when you once stayed up late until the wee hours of the morning, once you’re a runner you realize you need ample amounts of sleep to perform your best. You choose activity over sedentary. You choose health over recklessness. You choose to run and live.
Running can be done solo, with a buddy, or with a large group of people. It can be a team sport if you want it to be. It can just be you against the world if that’s the way you roll. Running brings people together that would otherwise never meet. Running builds friendships and trust.
You may claim you’re not a runner, but once you take the step to train for any sort of distance run, you are. Running is crazy. But it’s a fabulous kind of crazy. It’s addictive, and fun, and exhilarating.
Are you ready?
Welcome to the club.
