Why I run

Today is National Running Day, and I'm proud to say that means something to me. It has not always been that way. Six years ago, the idea of running a mile was absurd to me. I had never done it without walking part of it. Never.

There are a lot of small reasons why I started running, but no big moment. On July 2, 2007, I woke up and I was ready for a change. I had carried extra weight since my son was born six years earlier in June of 2001. I started walking and biking regularly. And I became much more conscious about calories and quality of food. On July 4, I even avoided the fair-quality onion rings and cheese curds that are sold at the local Old-Fashioned 4th of July celebration. I was truly ready.

After several weeks and a few pounds lost, walking no longer gave the feeling that I was working my body. And I knew I wanted that feeling. I also knew running would give me that feeling, if I could do it. A few google searches later, and I had the Couch to 5K program printed and ready for me. I read testimonials and when I couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work, I began the program.

The C25K was immensely rewarding for me. I began to see my body as a type of machine: give it what it needs, it will give you what you need. The first time I ran twenty minutes straight gave me a rush: I knew that I was capable, that my body was capable. The only times I had ever felt proud of my body's performance was in childbirth. At that point, I had given birth twice. Two times in 29 years isn't that great, but now I had a way to get that feeling multiple times a week!

I gave up running when I became pregnant a third time after I spotted on and off for a few weeks. And running effected my milk supply when I was nursing. And then I was parenting three children, and I just couldn't find my running rhythm for a couple years. Was my romance with running over?

I believe that all runners either run away from something or toward something. The ones who run toward something will run with joy in their hearts. The daily run becomes a blessing for them, rather than a burden. When I first started running, I was running away from my extra weight, but soon started running toward the rush. Those years after my third child was born...I was just running away. Running away from a bit of weight, and running away from the demands of mothering for a few minutes. I was no longer feeling the love for running I once did.

But then last year, I heard about the Color Run, and I knew I had to participate. The idea of running through people throwing colored powder at me? Holy crap...that sounded amazing! Finally, I had something to run toward again. And along the way, during my third time doing the C25K, I found that love of running again.

I ran through most of my winter this year, and this year on National Running Day, I'm running further than I've ever ran before. Every run, I think, "What am I running toward today?" Sometimes it is story ideas, sometimes its a chat with God. Lately, it is usually the pure pleasure of listening to my favorite NPR shows without interruptions.

A while back, I read a piece by a local blogger where she complained that every runner she knew feels compelled to encourage everyone they know to take up running. I am totally one of those annoying runners. I'll try to push the C25K on anyone who will listen and I'm often looking for recruits to join me on the latest crazy run to roll through town. I just want everyone to feel what I feel during and, especially, after a run. When my skin is red and my hair is wet with sweat...well, that is when I feel my loveliest.

I'm not sure I will alway run, or even if I'll still be running at age 40. And I'm okay with that. What I do know is that I will run for as long as I have something to run toward.

Ignore the watermark. I just never got around to ordering this photo, but I wish I had. I had no idea anyone was taking a photo here, but they caught me smiling to myself. This is how a great run makes me feel! Now don't you want to try?