Run Forest, run!

Running! One of my all time absolute most favorite things to do on the planet! There is nothing quite like the feeling of losing yourself in thought while speeding down the sidewalk, using up nothing but your own energy and motivation. Running is something so special to me, that it has probably come close to saving my life, multiple times.

The first time I ever ran was with Amanda during the summers when she needed to run a mile in six minutes for varsity soccer. That first day out was the worst day of my running life. I was out of breath by minute two, everything hurt, I was sweating more than I ever had before, I was tired because she forced me to get up early to beat the heat, and I absolutely hated everything in the world. But, she had to do it and I wanted to be there for her, so I kept it up (mostly because she would not let me stop) and as she got better I also got better. I was never into sports during my childhood. I played CYO basketball just because my dad put me in it and it was something I thought I had to do, but I never really enjoyed team competition or exerting myself too much. But after running in those mornings and seeing real improvements in physical ability, I kept it up. For the next few years it was restricted to treadmill running and trying to push more and more miles. Since I was more concerned about my body image then I should have been, a lot of my motivation was to look good, so I did not have anything really pushing me to run for running's sake or to get really into it. Again, I did it because I had to. Then, my sophomore year at BU, my roommate Jeff pushed me to get off the treadmill and run outside again. We took a 2.5 mile lap around the river and I was hooked. I am not joking when I say that day probably changed my life.

After that first run I began to run outside constantly. I could not go as far as I could on the treadmill at first because I had to adjust to breathing outside air, avoiding people, and being in the sun; but every time I went out I got better and better. I invested in a good pair of shoes and committed to running the Boston Marathon with Jeff our senior year, two years away. I trudged through a couple knee and food injuries, combated my first New England winter running outside, and discovered one of my most passionate joys in life. And yes, we both went on to run TWO marathons our senior year including The Boston.

Running is my time to get away from anything and everything. I think about so much while I run, my thoughts are usually racing and when I run it feels normal because I am actually keeping up with them as I move. Stress is instantly removed, I have so much energy (not that I did not have this in abundance before), and I am a much more relaxed person. I sometimes use running as an outlet to relieve some of my physical anxieties; it is a form of exercise that is extremely heathy, burns through everything, and makes me feel lighter. I also run to explore my environment; I have gotten to know so much of Boston that I never would have without running and whenever I go on vacation to a new place I love to see what it has to offer by running. When I can literally go for hours and miles, I get to see so much and don't fear getting lost, in fact sometimes I love to! I love challenging myself physically and seeing how much I can push myself by running faster and harder and longer. I love to run when I am in a good mood because I smile the whole time and belt out whatever comes on my ipod. I love to run when I am really sad or worried about something because I manage to clear my head and get a much better look at the situation. I love to lesson plan and think about my classroom when I run; in fact my kids give me so much motivation because they are all so impressed with how much I run. I love that I can run marathons and that I have committed to running at least two every year, I never thought in my life that I could accomplish something like that.

Running just brings me so much happiness. It is something I do for me only and one of the few things that I can actually satisfy myself without needing anyone else. The feelings I get while running are like being on top of the world, in fact it is probably as close to flying as I could ever feel (which is something I always wished for when I threw a penny into a fountain.) I love being a runner and treating my body with respect so that I can stay a runner and perform at my best. Being a distance runner for so long has even taught me to think more long-term and has helped me to not stress the small stuff too much because I can always keep the goal in mind and know that it takes awhile for things to happen. I love that I get to teach people how to run and go running with my students and my friends, helping them to get something life changing out of it. It just feels so right and natural and has kept me from destroying myself. Whenver I feel like a bout of anxiety or depression is coming on too strong, I go for a looooong run. It is not a quick fix, but it really helps me to relax, think clearly, and put things in perspective. It is my way of handling life, and it just so happens to bring me tons of physical and health benefits. Going to the doctor and hearing "you are in perfect shape" makes me so genuinely happy; especially when being the opposite is such a possibility for me. What I have discovered in my life is that the only way to enjoy life and be happy is to emphasize the positive things you have and not give in to negative thoughts or behaviors. Running brings me those positives and I am very confidant that I am going to run for the rest of my life.

There is so much more that I want to and could say about this but I would end up writing for hours and still never be done. I think instead I will just keep running and running and running.