Why I Run?

When I tell people I am training for a half-marathon they give me skeptical looks. When I tell people I just ran 4 or 5 or 8 miles they look at me like I'm crazy. When people see me running on the track, at Shelby Farms, or anywhere else, they just shake their heads. All of these people eventually ask me why I do this. Why do I put my body through such pain? I do these things because I was born an athlete and I will die an athlete and I love competition. I love setting goals and reaching them. I love pushing my body to it's limit and beyond.

I was born an athlete, but more specifically I was born a soccer player. I played competitve soccer my whole life - from age 4 through high school and even division one soccer. I love every aspect of soccer - the smell of leather cleats, the smell of the grass, the feel of the ball, playing under lights, celebrating goals, savoring victories, being a part of a team, and I love the competition. I loved training for seasons - the 120s, the miles, the sprints, the weights. I loved pushing my body to be as efficient as it could be for soccer. But my playing days ended my sophomore year in college when I hurt my hips. I was forced to retire my cleats and that is when I started to see the other aspect of the game in coaching. So I started coaching at age 20 and here I am ten years later going strong. I still love every aspect of the game, but I miss getting my own body in shape for soccer. But the thing is, I didn't realized I missed it until last September.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband is an avid runner. He has run numerous 5ks, a half marathon, and a full marathon. I did not run from age 20 until last year. My husband and I are, however, hikers. We planned a big fall break trip to the Smoky Mountains and he convinced me to do some light running to prepare for it. I always make it on hikes, albeit much slower than he would like. So I agreed to run about 1-2 miles every other day. Once the fall break trip was over, he suggested that I train for a 5k in December that was on the same day as his full marathon. Relunctantly I agreed and I have not stopped running since. I forgot for almost ten years that I loved the feeling of pushing my body to its limits and beyond.

I ran the 5k in December and did fairly well and then my husband and I decided we would run the Nashville half marathon in April and I've been training for it since the 5k. I'm up to running 20-30 miles a week now and I love every minute of it. I love the solitude, I love the pain, I love the outdoors, and I love the competition. The competition in running is not only external, it's also internal. I try to up my mileage every week, I try to beat times, and when I'm out on a long run, my mind competes with my body that is telling me to stop. And yes, I love the races. We've been running in the Memphis Runners Winter Cross Country Series and I've gotten second in my age group in the 3k and 5k so far.

So that is why I run. I always have been and always will be an athlete who thrives on competition.