Today is a day I plan to forever cherish and treat like any other holiday – a day of reflection and appreciation. Happy National Running Day.

Growing up as an overweight out of shape female running was NOT fun, running was a punishment. Conditioning days in sports were absolute torture and days that I absolutely dreaded; more than that I would get anxious about them days before they even happened. As a collegiate athlete knowing I would be last or very close to it was beyond discouraging for me, it sent me into a state of borderline depression. Almost two years ago now I woke up one day and decided I was going to be a runner. This was going to be

Enough about what used to be!

Since that first day I crossed the finish line of my first 5k I knew this was going to be a lifelong hobby for me.
Only days after running my first 5k I signed up for my first half marathon. After completing my first half marathon I signed up for two more and decided I was going to make running a half marathon in every state one of the top items on my bucket list. 

The health benefits obtained from running are obvious, but running has immensely improved my life psychologically.

Running is a huge factor on my happy and healthy lifestyle journey. I have truly fallen in love with running. I cannot even put into words how much it has changed me. I thank every person out there who has supported me; I thank every single blogger who shares their journeys of running; I thank every runner I have come across in a race who has encouraged, pushed, or motivated me. 

Today I challenge anyone out there to go out for a run or jog – whatever your ability level get out there and own it, give it a try; if you are a runner share with the world why you run.

Why I Run

The day that race volunteer put that first medal around my neck at the Jingle Bell Half Marathon I broke into tears. I was so proud of myself and so happy I couldn’t even believe I had just run 13.1 miles. The self esteem boost that came over me that day and every single race after that is absolutely unmatchable. Each run is an accomplishment and attitude booster (yes there are days where a run doesn’t go my way, but there is no such thing as a bad run if you got out there and did something). Some might call a runners love and passion for running an addiction, and I will be the first one to tell you that I am addicted to running. The high after completing a run or the runners high I experience around mile three is one of the greatest feelings. I have no idea the science behind any of this, but all I know is that my moods have drastically changed for the better. I owe a lot of my mental strength to running.

I run because no matter how fast or how far I go, no matter how many races I run– I am a runner and every time I lace up my sneakers, I have won. I run because every single time I step into a corral I am participating in something that is far greater than me. I escape the confusion, chaos, and negativity of the world I run because in those moments I am in my own world, a world where I am invincible.