On Becoming a Runner
As I've dabbled in this running hobby I've come to realize just how much information is out there about running. Whereas before I didn't know there were books on the subject, I've now read an eclectic assortment including a fun book by Alexandra Heminsley's titled "Running Like a Girl" and the more spiritual and eye opening "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I've joined the local chapter of a national free running group called Moms Run This Town where I've met an amazing array of women like me who are running because we we found we need to move our bodies to feel complete, we need something for ourselves, and frankly, we need to get out of the house and away from our jobs with other ladies in a social environment that makes us feel great!
The biggest lesson I've learned is that running is a culture. It's more than a hobby, it's a way of being. I started this by walking 10 minutes and running 2, doing those intervals 8 times. Somehow, I tackled a 10k that seemed like an enormous distance, yet I ran it without stopping. Now I'm up to the half marathon, which seems like an enormous distance, yet I completed it without stopping. I'm not going to be a super runner, an ultra runner, or an elite athlete. But I have realized I can have many of the same benefits those super runners have. I can feel terrific in my own skin, I can feel connected to my physicality, I can challenge myself to reach a goal and stick to it until I get there.
To be able to say "I am a runner" and know that it's true is an accomplishment. It means I've set goals, I've stuck with them, I've absorbed the essence of what it means to be a runner into my cellular structure and integrated it into my life. Running allows me to challenge my sense of self. It lets me see the boundaries in my physical body as well as the walls I've built mentally.
It could be any challenge that gets you here, but to find something you identify with that speaks to you and asks you to challenge your beliefs, challenge your body, and rise up to those challenges over and over again is a gift.
The biggest lesson I've learned is that running is a culture. It's more than a hobby, it's a way of being. I started this by walking 10 minutes and running 2, doing those intervals 8 times. Somehow, I tackled a 10k that seemed like an enormous distance, yet I ran it without stopping. Now I'm up to the half marathon, which seems like an enormous distance, yet I completed it without stopping. I'm not going to be a super runner, an ultra runner, or an elite athlete. But I have realized I can have many of the same benefits those super runners have. I can feel terrific in my own skin, I can feel connected to my physicality, I can challenge myself to reach a goal and stick to it until I get there.
To be able to say "I am a runner" and know that it's true is an accomplishment. It means I've set goals, I've stuck with them, I've absorbed the essence of what it means to be a runner into my cellular structure and integrated it into my life. Running allows me to challenge my sense of self. It lets me see the boundaries in my physical body as well as the walls I've built mentally.
It could be any challenge that gets you here, but to find something you identify with that speaks to you and asks you to challenge your beliefs, challenge your body, and rise up to those challenges over and over again is a gift.
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