It’s no secret that we love to run! Even on the days that are hard and don’t feel great, it’s always better to get a run in than not. The team is contemplating today for Global Running Day why that is… A few we definitely agree on: the community, the challenge, and that post-run glow (I’m talking about the endorphins, not sweat).
Nicci
I run to work out, to shake off feelings of “blah”, to socialize, to invigorate myself…the list is endless, but when it comes down to it, I run because it feels good. Okay, it might not feel 100% awesome the whole time I’m doing it, but I always feel great after a run.
Jamie
Running for me is equal parts meditation, exercise, and release. It’s the thing that’s always there for me when I need it most – it helps me get back into focus, find clarity, sweat out whatever I need, and come back to the day feeling strong, accomplished, and ready for anything.
I feel like running is sometimes my closest friend; she challenges me to be my best self, yet also allows me to be my worst when I need to be. She inspires me and helps me think more clearly and find focus when I need it, yet also makes me feel light and carefree. She is complicated, yet also so simple.
Alyse
It feels so crazy to say so, but I finally discovered how to enjoy running while pregnant. I’d dabbled here and there, but never really committed or found my stride, so to speak.
Thanks to a regular in-person run buddy and my virtual run buddies on Gixo, I finally got consistent, and (surprise surprise) all those benefits I’d been hearing about from finally clicked.
Liz
There’s no high like a runner’s high. Even the hardest, shortest, slowest, most frustrating of runs, there’s always some sense of elation upon finishing. Though maybe it’s the coffee and bagel sandos we demolish Saturday mornings after run club…
There’s just so much to love about running, even beyond the endorphins. Sometimes it’s the epic scenery and exploration.
There’s amazing community with running! Sometimes you chat while you run, letting the miles fly by while you catch up. Sometimes it’s just nice to have someone to bitch to about the crazy hills you’re running. Sometimes your buddies are your rocks, pushing you to challenge your pace or helping set a pace you can maintain for the long haul.
I also love to run alone. To be quiet except for the huff and puff of my breath in my surroundings. To allow my mind to wander, sometimes to think things through and sometimes to turn my brain off. To only think about putting one foot in front of the other. To challenge myself mentally to push myself physically. It is my moving meditation.
Rain or shine, solo or with buddies, slow or fast, trail or beach or road, home or afar, running is always there. Even after finishing a run when my legs don’t work and this is how I walk to my car:
This is pretty much always how I feel (on the inside, even if my legs won’t even twitch):
Why do you love to run?? How are you celebrating Global Running Day?
Love this post and all of YOU!