{Warning: Most of this Blog post waxes poetic about Running. If you just want to skip to the part about it's health benefits, scroll down to the dotted line}
Running is My Happy Place.
It is a Best Friend & Constant Companion. 
I have run myself out of pain, anger, sadness, depression & grief
I have also run myself into joy, happiness, self-confidence, peace & serenity
I have run when I didn’t have a nickel to my name
I have also run on every exotic vacation I’ve ever taken
I have run when I felt completely alone in the world, talking to only myself
I have also had intimate conversations with great friends while running
I’ve prayed, I’ve cried, I’ve puked, I’ve pooped
I’ve written poems & composed songs
I’ve studied for tests & practiced speeches
I’ve brainstormed, analyzed, strategized, created
I’ve listened to countless audiobooks, podcasts & motivational speakers
Running has been part of my highest highs & my lowest lows.
And herein begins our love story…
My love of Running started early. As a kid I would run laps around the property line of my backyard for fun. Yes, I did say for fun! Never cared for Barbie, she looked liked an alien to me anyway. I wanted to climb the trees, dig for buried treasure, & just run!
When I got a little older, I was allowed to start running around the block, which was a 3 mile rural countryside block. My little bro would come with me on his bike & we’d stop for a break at the Farmhouse Store, buy some gobstoppers & keep trucking.
In high school, there was this fun run put on at our local park for Earth Day. It was a 6-mile loop around a Lake. It became my new favorite place to gallop along peacefully.
In College, I developed this habit of combining runs on the treadmill with studying. “Two Birds” right?
Although I wouldn’t find out until many years later, all this running was self-medicating my ADHD, which helped me focus on my hard-core course loads. Junior year, I moved off campus & frequented a track close to my apartment. I would go there late at night when it was quiet to study my flash cards & run laps.
It was then my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer. I transferred schools & moved closer to home so I could be with her during all her appointments & chemo treatments. One day I got lost & accidentally discovered a new place to trudge it out.
The Trails at Wissahickon Valley Park will always hold a special place in my heart. That year was the most difficult of my life. My Mom passed away slowly & agonizingly. My family started to fall apart because of it. {My Dad had already passed years before.} I found my boyfriend of 6 years with another woman. My best friend moved to another continent. I was roofied at a party & you can imagine the rest of that horrific situation. My roommate moved out 3 months before our lease was up. Then I was in 2 car accidents in one week totaling my car. The company I worked for went bankrupt suddenly & left me with no job. With all the grief & stress I couldn’t handle finishing my last semester of college, where I was about to graduate with a double major. And to top it all off, I had developed a severe eating disorder.
I didn’t want to live anymore.
Those trail runs were the weary threads that held me together.
When I first moved out West, I lived next to a track used by the University. Again I went there at night to run my guts out. To run through my pain, my grief, my sadness, my disappointment & my anger at life. To yell, to cry, to pound on the pavement & scream at the moon. For awhile, running was truly my only solace.
When I first started dating my husband, he was training for a marathon. I had never run a race before, but we started running together at a local park. He finally convinced me to sign up for a race. I decided on a mountainous Half Marathon. What a noob! Cameling-up just before the start, I had to wait in line for the porta-potty twice while I was on the clock. I wore way too much gear & clothing. And because I followed the common misconception about “carbing-up” the night before, my stomach hurt the entire time. But I crossed that finish line with such a sense of accomplishment I wanted more. I ran another & another, & then I went for a Full.
The feeling you have when you cross the finish line after 26.2 miles is indescribable.
It was then that I was hooked for life.
2006 = First Full Marathon
I remember when I got my first generation Garmin Forerunner. It was a game changer. I could see my pace in real time, set it to train me on intervals & speedwork, & even compete against myself. I kept a running log & chased after my own PR’s. In fact every race I had ever run I set a new Personal Best!
Then came some more hard knock-downs. A serious concussion after an accident, a grade 3 hamstring tear during a run, Long-Covid, & heart complications from the Vax were all serious set backs to my running life. But a setback is just a setup for a comeback right? If that’s what I teach my students, I have to follow my own advice! The body knows how to heal itself when you give it the right tools, have patience & treat it kindly. And sometimes, that means knowing when NOT to run.
I’m grateful for getting those forced time-outs. If not for getting sidelined, I probably wouldn’t have learned my specific biomechanics & what to do to keep injury free. {ie. Stretch Properly!} I wouldn’t have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. {ie. a Full Time Coach!} Nor would I have clean, shiny base boards! {because you have to find something to do while you're healing!} 😂 But seriously, it makes me appreciate being able to run that much more.
These days I am slow, a jogger really. But this girl can still sexy pace her way thru 6 miles without a waddle break! Now that my regular distance is handled, I can work on getting back my speedy-gonzalez!
Recently my Podiatrist cautioned me about running “at my age”, that I should really consider trading in my kicks for something lower impact. I replied laughingly, “With all due respect Doc, I think I’d rather die.” He chuckled heartily & told me he’s a runner too so he gets it, but that’s just what he’s supposed to say.
My Chiropractor tells me I shouldn’t even think about running another marathon because it’s just too hard on the body. I giggle with a shrug, “Doc, there are 90 year olds running marathons…. so…..” 🤷🏽♀️ He just shakes his head & smiles every time.
Our bodies were designed to do amazing things!
So I will continue to run despite what they say. I will continue to run until I can’t anymore. Running has always been there for me. Running saved my life. So as long as I can, I will run. 🏃🏽♀️
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The Health Bennies of Jogging & Running
Yes, serious Runners are a different breed. Most people do not enjoy the sport, even some dedicated runners actually loathe it. However, here are some excellent reasons to try it out & see if running is for you!
Running can improve your:
Bone Density
Immune Function
Brain & Organ Function
Blood Sugar Regulation
Cardiovascular Health
Respiratory Health
Mental Health
Neurogenesis
Cognitive Function
Energy Levels
Libido
Emotional Balance
Endurance
Sleep
VO2Max {Oxygen Distribution}
And on a personal note, Running will teach you to have Grit. To be Resilient. To have Resolve. To Stay Positive even in the face of challenges. To keep yourself Mentally Strong. To never quit. To never give up on yourself.
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What makes running so special?
You don’t need anything special to do it!
It’s an uncomplicated form of exercise. You don’t need a gym membership, a garage full of equipment, special training, special gear or even special clothing. Yeah those runners with all their fancy-pancy gear look snazzy, but all you really need is the ability to put one foot in front of the other & a sturdy pair of shoes. Everything else is superfluous. Actually, these days, you don’t even need shoes if barefoot running is your thing. But I don’t recommend it unless you find yourself in a grassy meadow full of flowers or a pristine sandy beach!
The point is you need ZERO dollars to go for a run. Does proper clothing help? Just like any sport, appropriate attire can make it more enjoyable. Does music help? Yes it absolutely can, but it’s still unnecessary. {Unless you really don't like being alone with yourself & your own thoughts😬} You don’t even need a special space or specific time to run. All you have to do is grab your nearest pair of kicks, lace ‘em up, & walk outside. Most runs I’ve taken in my life have started from my own front door. You can do it anytime, anywhere, go fast or slow, short or long, on flats or hills, fartleks or slogs, daytime or middle of the night, city streets or mountain trails, snow, rain, wind, sun….
.
I know a dude who became a runner simply because he, in his words,“got so sick of himself, of being overweight, of having multiple health problems, of just waiting to die.” He laced up a pair of shoes one afternoon & "ran" as far as he could. He made it to his mailbox & determined the next day he would go to the telephone pole. After the pole, it was his neighbors mailbox. The day after that it was the street sign. Before he knew it, he was getting through a mile. Then those miles became marathons.
And it was all because he “had the will to live instead.”
I encourage you to find your running equivalent.
What movement motivates you?
What exercise gets you through the most difficult moments in your life?
Yoga? Zumba? Pilates? Spin? Swimming? Riding? Capoeira? Banging on the Drums? Double Step? Kettlebells? Dancing? Ping-pong? Chasing your kiddos? Jumping Rope with them? Skateboarding? Paddle-boarding? Snorkeling? Kick-boxing? Silver Sneakers? Pumping some Iron?
What makes you want to jump for Joy?
Motion in the body is always connected to our E-motion. Don’t believe me? Crack a giant smile & skip around like a little kid who’s hopped up on too much sugar for 30 seconds. Exactly….
Without running in my life, I’d be a stressed depressed anxious scatterbrained frazzled mess.
So I will run. Until I can’t.
What about you? What will you do to move?
Meeting Dean Karnazes, the OG Ultramarathon Man
"Run when you can,
walk when you have to,
crawl if you must,
just never give up!"
~ Dean Karnazes
2012 = Sub-4 Full Marathon! Finally!🎉