Why Wednesday–Why I Run

Why I Run – aka How I got bitten by the Racing/Running Bug

BECAUSE I CAN! That’s the biggest answer I can give. I was obese for a long time and never worked out. During my weight loss journey, I started to love exercising. I still never really had an interest in running.

What really started my love affair with running was once I reached my goal of losing 100 pounds. I wrote a little bit about what happened once I lost all the weight. I was floundering a bit. I wasn’t sure what to do. So I thought, “Why don’t I train for a 5k?”

I needed a goal to work towards.

Running can be frustrating. Hard. Exhausting. Sometimes painful. But when it gets too hard I just remind myself of this: When I was 250 I COULDN’T run. Now I CAN. And I WILL.

Why I Run:

To Lose Weight

• This can honestly be counter-productive. When I started running, I thought it was just another way to lose weight and to maintain my weight loss. That’s somewhat true. What else is true: Runners needs to eat A LOT of food. Food is fuel. And when training for a running event, it’s pretty common to gain weight.
  

To Improve My Health

• Running strengthens my heart. I love the way it feels pounding in my chest as I run.
• Running reduced my blood pressure. By an astounding amount. I suffered from really high blood pressure for a long time and my doctors wanted to put me on medication. Not anymore! My dentist asked if I was a runner yesterday. I said yes, why? He said because I have the blood pressure and heart rate of a runner.

To Compete in Races

• I am not a competitive person. I never thought I would ever want to run a race, or a marathon for that matter. But after I ran my first 5k (and with the flu!) I was definitely bitten by the race bug.
• It’s a totally awesome feeling running with thousands of other people. People who love running, love the pain, love the rewards.
• I love my race T-shirts and wear them with pride.

To Work Towards an Attainable Goal

• Setting goals for myself to work towards keeps me focused and on track.

To Feel Good About Myself

• I love that my self esteem has increased because of running.
• I love that I CAN run.
• After years of hating my body, my body is now a machine that carries me across the finish line!
• I have confidence in my abilities now.

To Relieve Stress

• I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life. Having an outlet when things get “crazy” in life makes a huge difference.
• The “Runners High” is a totally valid and real phenomenon!

QUESTION: WHY do you run? If you aren’t a runner, why do you do the exercise you do?