Why I run

Written by: Ariana Travelstead

There are many things in life I never thought would become habits for me. Things that didn’t seem appealing, worth a try, or  carry so many benefits with them. Did you ever think that by doing something for yourself, you would actually be helping others too? As skeptical as I am to experiment in the kitchen, I have learned that it brings more joy to those around me when due effort is put forward. And yes, being selfish is one of the healthiest thngs you can do for yourself and those around you. It will make you happier, less anxious, less grumpy, and in reaction-you will be making your community more attracted to you! A happy mom, makes a happy family  A happy individual makes a happy workplace, and so-on…just set one foot foward. 

Thus goes with running. It is something that always seemed like a chore to me. Or some unnatainable sport that I was not ‘born’ to do. I always thought because I grew up playing softball, that my body would never be able to carry me more than 30 yards at a time. That it was unbelievably hard-and it is..but just put so much pressure on each run and running as a whole. Oh, how my dreams and goals have changed. 

It has taken years of experimenting (and practicing, aka running!) to find why running makes me so happy. It is simple, yet creates a ‘no brainer’ reason of why you should do the things that make you the happiest, every day if you can. 

Running is the only time I can be alone, without phone calls or emails, meetings, projects, people, parents, whatever it is that keeps me busy all week….running is MY time. No one can tell me where to take my run, how fast to take it, what to think about, or what time to go out on my care-free, wind-in-my-hair, adventures. If I want to get up at 5:30, before the world is light to be with myself and God if I choose, I do it. Forget about the beautiful places my runs take me to, the quiet time is reason enough. So after learning all this, races don’t interest me nearly as much anymore (save for triathlons) running groups aren’t my thing, and I still do appreciate a great running partner to share in the sacredness of running. But my favorite runs are solo. And that works for me. What works for you? 

With gratitude, Ari

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This is not a sponsored post. All suggestions and ideas are mine. All pictures have been taken by contributers unless otherwise noted. Please inquire if you desire to use any content of this post. Link Back to this post or tag @arianatravelstead for Instagram and @arianatravelsteadblog on Facebook