Running for the thrill of it

Running has given me far more than what is obvious. When I started running it was for a simple reason - to lose weight and to stop bending over on the soccer pitch and coughing like a smoker. Running helped in those areas, but running has given me so much more than that. Running has given me inner peace (yep like a hippy), a love of the great outdoors, confidence and above all else, it has given me the most amazing bunch of friends, a group of people who include me and help me out. It has given me somewhere to belong.

In the last few years, I have developed such an appreciation of the great outdoors. Where previously my traveling expeditions took me to big cities and famous historical sites (still of interest to me), now I find myself drawn to mountains, lakes and trails. I care deeply about the world in which I live. I enjoy seeing the sunrise and running under the light of the moon. I get a thrill out of spotting wildlife (with the exception of birds of course). In discovering this new appreciation of the great outdoors, I have found it easier to let things go, to accept the good with the bad, to see the highs and lows as the ebbs and flows of life. I am just one tiny spec in this beautiful playground. There is no need to get hung up on what I cannot change.

Running has also taught me that I can do things that scare me. I can run in the dark by myself; I can travel 100 miles by foot; I can hike up mountains. Where I once thought I couldn't run two laps of a soccer pitch, I now have this belief that if I put my mind to it and work hard, my body can take me wherever I want it to (albeit slowly). This confidence has infused into other elements of my life.

The friends I have made along the way in this running adventure are what I value most of all. I have found a group of people who make me laugh, who inspire me, who help and encourage me and who want to share this adventure with me. Of course I have wonderful friends from outside running too, but with running I have found an entire group of people with whom I belong. I don't simply have a handful of friends that I have met through various elements of my life, but there is a whole group that I am a part of. There is this little niche where I can sit and not feel like the odd one out. Recently I have been going through some rough times and along with my two best friends and my family, my friends I have met through running have been amazing. I cannot express how grateful I am for all the love and support that has been shown.

Hello Pavement My Old Friend

I went for a road run last week - yikes. I'm not much of a road runner but recently it has been my only option as it is a lot more practical than trails. I had a bit of a run in with this nasty bit of pavement.

I know, very technical. I did that thing, where you almost catch yourself but don't quite. Pavement hurts when you hit it. Hurts your pride too, but mostly it hurt my hip and knees.

The knees didn't come up too well in this photo, but I have some nice bruises.

Anyways, I think I should stick to trails. I generally stay upright on those. On the positive, I did get back up and run faster than the 5km goal I have been working towards, and that included 20 seconds face down on the sidewalk.