It’s better to have run and gotten injured
than to never run at all.
As most of you know, I am currently nursing a
small injury right now...tendonitis in my right foot. Not being able to run for
7 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes [totally kidding…kinda], has made me think about why
I run and realize why I love running more than the average human being.
I can’t even count on two hands the amount of
times people have asked me why I run. I get that question all the time.
“Brittney, why do you run? I just can’t run
for that long.”
“I get bored.”
“I have so many other things to do.”
“It’s hard.”
To be honest, I am always blindsided by the
question. It stops me in my tracks for a minute. Why do I run?
I run because I can. Because when I do, I get
to test my limits, see how far I can push myself, and aim to be an
extraordinary runner.
Running is so much more than exercise for me.
Sure, it started out that way, but it has
become so much more than that. I ran competitively all through junior high and
through high school, and then recreationally all through college. I have the
genes for it, I have the experience for it, but I also have the heart for it.
Running is how I find my inner peace. It’s
when I talk to God the most. It’s how I let out stress, anger, anxiety, joy,
& happiness. It’s how I release my build up of emotions.
I run to get out of my head. It sounds silly,
I know, but I get to release everything and think clearly. And I get to escape
myself and the stresses of life for a little while. It’s the only time I can
wander to my own special work and no one can reach me. When I’m running, it’s
the only time my thoughts are quiet. Don’t get me wrong, some runs I am
constantly speaking into my phone about things to add to my to do list, but the
majority of the time, it’s just me. And my running shoes. And the road.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a
competitive and passionate person. And you can see that through my running.
Running is how I express myself. My passion shines through most during my runs,
especially during a race. I am constantly setting new goals and working my butt
off to reach them. I have a constant drive to beat myself. I have a need to
constantly get faster. Sometimes I think it’s a game I subconsciously play
while I run. During races, I love the feeling of knowing that I couldn’t
possibly have given anything more and that I did everything I could to run to
the best of my ability. There is beauty in that feeling.
I also run to explore. It is the way I
explore new cities or new environments. When I was in college, I think I ran
every inch of Waco (except the sketchy parts). And when we moved to the
outskirts of Dallas, you better believe I explored our new city on foot. It’s
so much fun! And I get to learn my way around by doing a sport I love.
I’m one of those people that get jealous when
I see someone running when I am driving in my car. I can’t stand that they are
getting to run when I can’t. I know, it sounds stupid, but that is seriously
how much I love running! I would run every minute of every day if I could.
Some people always stop me around this point,
and say, “Britt, this still just doesn’t make sense to me how someone can love
it this much to want to do it as much as you.”
Running is the only thing that I love that I
am actually really good at. Running is one of the only things that I have stuck
with for more than 10 years that I legitimately enjoy doing. How many other
people can say that? Sure, it’s kept me fit and healthy, but it has also made
me such a better person. I am disciplined and motivated in everything I do
because of running.
Running as made me a better person, inside
and out. I do better in other aspects of my life because of running. In school,
I am more focused. At work, I’m not as antsy. I sleep & eat better. And I
feel like myself when I run. Running as truly helped to make me the best
version of myself. (Along with other things of course ;))
Some say I am addicted. And some say I’m
crazy. But I am just a runner with a love for pounding my feet on the pavement (sometimes
a treadmill) every single day.
The sport itself is truly wonderful. And I
couldn’t be more passionate about it.
The saying goes, “if you want to run, run a
mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.”
This could not be more true. Props to anyone
who is running out there in this world, but I have so much respect for people
that run marathons. It is not easy. Not at all.
Marathoners train for countless hours per
week, log countless miles per week, and still manage to have a life. Then come
race day, we put it all on the course. We endure the pain and fight off the
little voice in our head that says “you can’t finish the last 3 miles”; we find
the determination and strength with absolutely no energy left to help us cross
that finish line. It is an unexplainable feeling that comes over us when the
line is crossed. It’s one of wonderment, exhaustion, beauty, pain, and pure
joy. We turned one of the hardest events of our lives into something to be
proud of, regardless of the time clock.
Once the pain & extreme soreness subsides,
we are getting right back out there, ready for the next one. Running marathons
has truly changed my life.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me
through all my races, my track meets, my training, and my running days. You
know who you are. You have made it so easy to go out for runs during holidays and
on weekends and you know it’s just something I have to do. You are truly the
best!
So there you have it. The long version of why I run. I hope this will help some people understand the crazy side of me now ;)
