Why do I run?
I start my run for many reasons, some more noble than
others. On bad days it’s because I feel like I am just one missed run away from
being not-so-skinny. Or because I made the mistake of opening the magazine and
my abs did NOT look like hers. Or because of that apple fritter I just couldn’t
throw away and instead ate in its entirety for breakfast this morning.
And sometimes it’s to escape from my house for just a few
minutes alone. To have a few minutes of quiet without hearing, “Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy!”
On good days I run because I’m training and its running day,
or for a chance to be outside and enjoy the sunshine.
But none of those are the reasons that keep me running. At
some point during almost every run, I think, “Why am I doing this to myself?” When
a voice in my head tells me it’s too hard, I can’t do it, I don’t have to run that far, what keeps me going?
There are little things that motivate me. Like the music in
my ears telling me “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own
it, you better never let it go, you only get one shot." Or the thought of Tris and Katniss and how strong
they are, how they wouldn't stop. Yes, I just admitted that Eminem and Young
Adult fiction motivate me...don’t judge, running’s hard!
Then there are things I tell myself while I run: You are strong. You can do it. You’re almost
there. You have to do this!
But in the end, it’s how I feel after a run that makes me
finish and come back for more. I know that
my body is strong, because my legs took me farther than I thought I could
go. I know that my mind is strong,
because I didn’t give in to the voices in my head telling me to quit. I did more than just complete a workout; I set
a hard goal for myself, and I accomplished it. I am euphoric. I am a runner!
Don’t worry, fellow believers. I haven’t gotten cocky or too
caught up in my own strength. I know where my strength comes from, especially
after a health scare a couple of years ago. I haven’t forgotten that every good
thing comes from above, that it’s because of Him that I can run at all, and
that tomorrow I may not be able to.
And so, for now, I run.
