Running for Clarity

Weight loss was one of my first reasons for adding running as an exercise regime. My husband had been a runner for years but it was not until about 1.5 years ago that I made up my mind I was going to turn my couch-potato self into a thinner, healthier me, a runner. So, even though it has been over a year, I have difficulty confessing I am a runner. I'm a runner at heart but it's hard to let that just slip right out of my mouth or to let it easily flow through my fingers as I type.

So, why do I run about 5-7 times a week? After learning to run alongside my husband, I have gained an all new respect for runners (professional and amateur). What started out as an adventure in weight loss turned into a type of home-grown therapy that can be self-administered without a doctor's note. My life is not that terribly difficult at the moment, although it does have it's up and downs, but I have heard from other runners alike. Running gives our minds a break when we need it. Other times it gives us the free time to think through ideas, problems and concepts that have been collecting upstairs. It is just a time to recollect about everything or nothing whenever you need it.

Oddly enough, since the age of around 14 years old, I have been playing tennis and not running. In fact, in high school my senior year I won a state metal competition in tennis singles. As a hormonal teenager mad at the world, it was an easy method to redirect my anger and other emotions through hitting the yellow tennis ball extremely hard without getting into any trouble. It was the perfect subscription then. Now that my hormonal levels have changed, thank goodness, I have found running to be a great form of exercise for clearing my mind. At times I wonder what my outcome would have been like if I were a runner in High School. Would my attitude been different? Would running have been just as good of a stress release as was tennis? Even though I can never turn back time to know the answer, it is an interesting thought.

For now though, I find that I am in love with running. It is such an easy sport to get addicted to for its accessibility to just about anyone. Just a pair of running shoes, shorts, shirt and the motivation to get out of the house is all one needs to really become a runner. I have purchased many different exercise videos, the latest technology and so on but trust me, running just gets under the skin and you really want to keep doing it. It is almost like a drug that is irresistible.

Running may have started out as a sport but it definitely turned into something much more meaningful in my life. It has turned from a method of weight loss to a method of improving my mental health. Although I may not be a doctor myself, I have read many science journals explaining that exercise is a great to improve ones physical and mental health all the same. So, why not try tying on some shoes and going for a run today? It may change your entire life!