My Affair

I’ve had a life long affair with running. I despised it when I was told it was something I had to do…to help my asthma…to build my endurance for basketball. Gradually there was a shift and I learned to love the longer runs, the rhythmn of my feet pounding the pavement or trails, the pounding of my heart, my heavy breathing… When I was lean and in my 20s running was about competition and time. In my 30s it was about staying fit and losing my baby weight. In my late 30s there was a shift in my running. Following a separation, divorce, loss of my parents, the running was more about healing than about racing and competing. It was about friendships, about health, about adventures. That continued into my 40s…it’s a place I like to be…running is good for my head , heart and health but mostly my head.

If I’m stressed or had a bad day or need to vent, what do I do? I hit the road or the trails. When I’m done, there is a feeling of liberation and accomplishment. That never goes away. My running is measured by my experiences, the friendships I make and keep, the people I meet, the places I run, and most of all how I feel. My running journey has taken me many places..not just different geographical places but places physically and emotionally.