My “Why”

What is your WHY?

My reason for running has evolved so much in my life. The first “run” I remember doing was in high school after being given an assignment to log food and exercise for a week (hindsight: what a strange assignment). I didn’t really do any exercise outside of team sports, and I felt embarrassed to not log any activity since I had a reputation of being “athletic”. So I ran... probably for about 5 minutes, but I still ran.

I really started to become a runner in university, and truthfully the initial reason was to burn calories. I ran every single day for about 6 months. I was fast. The fastest I’ve ever been. I began to love the sport and craved that runner’s high. But I also didn’t consider the huge impact it had on my body, and ended up injuring myself during my first half-marathon. I hobbled over the finish line, and didn’t run again for another 6 months +. I had learned an important lesson in the difference between training hard and training smart.

Lately my runs have a much deeper meaning. They provide me with the opportunity to push my body to its limits, and to let my mind run free as my feet pound the pavement. I now follow training programs, I cross-train, I crush goals, and I am proud of every step. Especially post-injury, I am so grateful for every run. It is both my escape and my way of connecting with myself and my community.

Why do you run?