If you didn’t know it already, I love to run. Running is this thing I can do that puts me in another world. I can get lost in my head, as I run; I fall into the rhythm of my breathing and feet pattering on the pavement. I don’t need music to move me along; my mind takes me on so many adventures, the sounds of what is around me sing a song that no man could ever duplicate. Running to me is a spiritual experience with my God, who lavishes on me his love and refreshes me with every breath I take in. It is a time I can step away from the madness and take in the beauty of nature and life. I truly enjoy the event, the challenges and sometimes even the pain and disappointment that comes with a ‘bad running day’.

Since I started running, I have always wanted to be faster and better. Then one day, a friend challenged me to sign up for my first 5k. I trained harder and ran more than ever before. After completing that 5k, I decided to take on the challenge of the marathon. I trained for a year for my first one. My body hurt in ways it never experienced before, shin splints, sore hips, swollen ankles. (Thankfully, I have never endured a major injury that kept me from running)Although I never thought I would run without experiencing pain, I wore that pain as my badge of honor. I was doing something incredible for myself, pushing myself to the limits I never thought I could. Milestone after milestone mile I etched closer to the 26.2 mile goal. Upon completing the first marathon, another challenge and then another. I am in running ecstasy!

All I can think about is getting better, getting faster, and being stronger.
Can I run this race in less time?
Can I get a new PR?
Can I beat that guy wearing the blue shirt?
How in the world is that girl running faster than me?
Then I start to realize, running is more of chore, it’s not as much fun.
There is always another race to train for so now running has become something I have to do.
I got to get the mileage in this week!
I have to be faster…
And then the true passion is replaced by this obsessive compulsive need to beat myself up…be faster, be stronger, run more, run less…
AAAAHHHH the chaos!

Now, five years from when I started and 7 full marathons later I have learned something. There is nothing wrong with being stronger; training smarter and wanting to be better but there is definitely something wrong with it being the sole focus! When being the best or hitting a new PR is the only focus I put on my running, I lose out on the real reason I love the sport to begin with. I think people tend to put unnecessary pressure on themselves.
The pressure of having to PR or place in a race.
The pressure to beat someone else out!
And in my experience and in watching others do this, one can get burned out by the thing that they enjoyed doing the most.
I see people constantly injured from not training properly, pushing themselves too hard.
People beating themselves up for not running as much as they think or as much as someone else says they should.
I see people putting unnecessary pressure on themselves for no reason.
Jeopardizing their health to run in conditions that are not smart, like running when sick or running in a rain storm.
I have been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and guess what??? IT DOESN'T FIT!!!

News flash, I believe that if you want to run into your latter years of life you need to be kind to yourself. Realize your limits. I am by no means saying, don’t try to be the best or push yourself, there is a lot of good that can come out of realizing a goal or achieving something greater. I am saying be smart and know your limits. Realize when enough is enough. Running is this amazing sport that I always say is ‘one size fits all’. You can make your running experience exactly what you want it to be! If you don't respect it, it can be taken away!

So for me and the reason why I am blogging about this, running is something I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to be that 75 year old women crossing the finish line of a marathon. I want to run because it is a passion, something I love. I don’t want to lose sight of this awesome gift I have been given and I want to respect it and treat it with care. To learn when to say ‘no, obsessive compulsive selfI am not going to run today because I have to; I am going to run today because I want to’. To find freedom and joy! I truly believe this thinking will lead me to a happy, healthy long running life!

What about you? Why do you run? What is your priority?