Today’s Tuesday on The Run Linkup could not be better timed. You see, I’m starting over in a lot of ways right now – in my job and with this blog – and it’s good, when starting over, to get back to the basics of what motivates you to do what you do! So why do I run?
The Monkeys
They live in my brain. They are loud and they lie. They tell me I’m not good enough, I’m not worthy of what I need, and I don’t deserve to be happy. They also keep me distracted and unable to focus the other, non-running hours of the day. Running, even just a 15 minute effort, shuts up the monkeys and puts my mind in a place of balance. If you don’t have monkeys in your brain, congratulations. But if you’re like me and you do, running is great for getting them to just calm the heck down.
The Peri-Menopause
I think guys have a form of this, too, honestly. You know, you get to be almost 45 and you have to eat less and exercise more to maintain the same weight? And weight loves to gather right around your mid-section where, smart doctors tell us, those extra pounds cause heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So I run to burn those calories and be able to eat like a normal human being. And also, too, I really like chips and salsa and margaritas.
The Bad Assery
There can be a lot wrong in the rest of my life. After all, I’m a working mom raising 3 teenagers with a husband who travels and a pre-disposition toward depression. But when I nail a speed workout or cross a finish line, I feel like I’m queen of the world. And nothing can stop me. I feel empowered and strong and capable, and very grateful for the body that God gave me. And that feeling carries over into every other area of my life including the mundane like laundry, the scary like asking for what I need at home and at work, and the stressful like the IRS and car trouble.
I channel that inner warrior who crosses finish lines LIKE A BOSS and suddenly I’m not as scared/worried/nervous. I am capable and I am strong.
This list could be maybe 10 or 15 points long, but I shall leave it at that. Running has become as much a part of who I am as singing oddly in public and laughing really loudly in movies. It’s part of who I am. And, I guess, really, that’s the best reason of all to do it.
Happy running.
Jen
Running is a great outlet for me too. I can get stressed out about the smallest things sometimes, and running has become a way to reflect and appreciate all that I have!
Love that – gratitude is the cure for some much that ails us!!
I love this, especially the part about being a badass. So true. Nothing like a good run to remind you just how freaking awesome runners are. 🙂
LOL! So true, Sarah! Watching Boston yesterday I was ready to sign up for another marathon on the spot! Thankfully, I got better;).
There’s nothing like a feel of accomplishment when you cross that finish line and get your bing, like you said. I think all races should offer that. Even smaller races like a 5k.
I know, right? It’s like a drug! But a good, healthy, legal one! LOL!
I can so relate to every word of this! I love it that you are real! I love it that you are 40 something and strong and beautiful! I love it that you can say you have Monkeys in your brain (much better term than demons)! I can deal with my life of teenagers and IRS problems and marriage and work and stress and weight and the Monkeys so much better when I run. Thank you for sharing this and for being you! You are such an inspiration and such an encouragement! I love everything about you! Please keep posting this stuff! Do you ever wonder why running is the thing that helps us cope? What is the answer to that question?
Thanks for your great words of encouragement, Beverly! Made my day! And to answer your question, I think, as humans, we were designed for physical exertion. When we don’t get it, and spend our days in a predominately sedentary way, it messes with our chemistry. Running balances that out and get the happy juices (technical term;) flowing!
Oh those monkeys in my mind! Running does an amazing job of silencing them. And the bad-assery is a huge reason I run. To prove it to myself at least! Thanks for linking up with us today!
OMG. I think you are my younger sister. I agree with EVERY word. Now, running is just what I do, who I am.
Yes to all of it! Up to and including the monkeys. Definitely need to tame the d&%$ monkeys.