25 Reasons Why Running Is Amazing!
In the 25-ish years that I have been running, I have found many things that I love about the sport. When I started pounding the pavement, it was really more for exercise. Luckily, the true joys of running have been revealed to me over time. Here are 25 reasons why running is amazing:
It provides solitude. When you just need some alone time where no one is speaking to you and you can listen to your own thoughts. Whether the world has put too much stress on your shoulders or you have been listening to a child ask you questions all day. Running offers solitude and quiet.
Friendships are made in the sport. Over the years, some of the most meaningful friendships I have had were formed during running. Let’s face it, when you are running miles and miles, you have nothing but time to chit chat! There are generally not many distractions during this time and conversations can flow.
Nature can be enjoyed while running. What better way to enjoy nature than to run through it?! Beautiful fall leaves, mountains, beach, canopy trees, sunrise, sunset, and the list goes on.
It is also a great way to explore a new city! You can cover a lot more ground in an hour by running than walking. You’ll learn your way around your vacation spot quickly and get to enjoy seeing what the area has to offer.
It is a great stress relief. This kind of overlaps with solitude, but there is just nothing like a good run when you are feeling overwhelmed, upset, or just angry. The first time I realized how powerful exercise was in decreasing stress was in middle school. I have no idea what I was upset about, but I remember jumping rope in P.E. When the class was over, I realized I felt so much better. Running won’t take your problems away, but it will help you manage the emotional part.
The calorie burn is nice. This certainly can’t be the only reason to run because no one would stick to it if this was the only benefit. It just isn’t enough to make running joyful. However, let’s face it, you can eat more when you run! I do love to eat, so this is a sweet deal.
It can give you a great sense of accomplishment. I think this is a benefit for so many people for so many different reasons. I began running long before I became a mother. However, it has become even more important since reaching parenthood. When my oldest child was 11 months old, I left my full-time job. Since then I have done several side-jobs, but my main job was to raise my growing family. Parenthood is incredibly rewarding, but the rewards don’t always come fast and easy. You can work and work and work on different things with your kids; however, the fruits of your labor may take months, to years, to decades. Many days, I feel like a failure and I know I’m not alone. While I keep working on this important job, running gives me a chance to achieve, make progress, and feel accomplished. Now I also get to feel the joy of watching my Fuel Your Sport athletes achieve as well!
You’ll sharpen your math skills. Seriously! How many times have you been running and tried to figure out what time you would finish if you were able to keep a particular pace? Or, how much faster do you need to go to get the time goal? Granted, the closer you get to the marathon finish line, we all suffer a bit in the cognitive department making some of those math equations a bit more challenging.
Running can lead to a healthy body. This paragraph could be more like a book. There are just too many physiological benefits to list! Think strong bones, heart, and muscles! Chronic disease is also managed much better when exercise is happening.
Running can also lead to a healthy mind. Not only can depression be better managed with exercise/running, but it can help to reduce the risk of things like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
It can improve the quality of life as we age. Runners and other avid exercisers tend to manage daily activities better, recover from illness and injury better, and have less aches and pains as they grow older.
It provides the gift of time to pray. Running provides you with a perfect time to pray and think.
Running can leave you with more energy for the day. Okay, so if you run 20 miles, you will probably feel more tired. However, shorter runs generally help you feel more energetic overall. Sitting on the couch is actually much more draining.
You will get a nice dose of Vitamin D. Who read about connection between adequate Vitamin D levels and a lower risk of COVID-19? The truth is, a deficiency in Vitamin D is not only very common, but also a risk factor for many diseases. Running outside will certainly help you to beef up those levels!
Running gives you confidence to do hard things. Sometimes when I feel like I am in the midst of a difficult task, like…childbirth, I remember how I have persevered through the last few miles of a marathon. I CHOSE to do that marathon and I kept on going until the job was done. Recalling times when we completed a difficult run, or stuck to it even when we slowed down, can give us confidence to do many other hard things in life.
It teaches us humility. We have all had good running days and bad running days. In the races where we are passed, can’t keep the pace, don’t finish strong, succumb to wind resistance, etc are the times when are reminded that, just like life, running can be really hard sometimes. We will not always reach the goal. We will not always feel great. Regardless, the crowd still cheers and the other runners are still high five-ing you and building you up. Races and running days like that remind us to be humble. There have been times when I was struggling and thinking about how hard a race was, and then I saw a disabled runner smiling through the miles. Oh my gosh, I am amazed and completely humbled when I see people running with a prosthetic leg or other major challenge. That is a reminder that humans are capable of so much and that my whining needs to quit!
It is a celebration of life! Whenever I am out pounding the pavement, I remind myself of how amazing it is that I am able to be outside putting one foot in front of the other, breathing in fresh air, and using my God-given legs to propel me through the miles.
Many people use it as a way to fight drug and alcohol addiction. I have read numerous stories about people who beat their addiction and then use endurance running to help them stay sober. I don’t want to put words in their mouths, but it seems like it gives them something to pour themselves into and focus on.
The sport brings people together. At a road race, you will see people of all religions, races, political stance, shapes, and sizes coming together to meet a common goal. Now that is something to celebrate!
It gives you a break from the kids. A sweet friend, Hadyn, reminded me of this today. I love my kids dearly, but let’s be honest, sometimes we need a break! My sister walked into my house last week with a shirt that said, “Marathon Mom, 26.2 miles of peace and quiet.” Yes, this is so true! When I ran the Savannah marathon in 2012, my kids were 3, 1, and 1 (the one-year-olds were a week shy of 2) and I remember thinking that I got the easier job that day. My husband was pushing the double stroller toting 3 kids around while I joyfully ran 26.2 miles without having to be responsible for a single human other than myself!
It helps you to keep up with the kids and grandkids. So after you get your break from those sweet kiddos, you’ll want to be able to keep up with them, right? Running will keep you feeling agile enough to run around and play with them.
You run just about anywhere. Yes, it is VERY important to be careful about the safety of where you choose to run. However, other than your shoes, there is no real equipment that you need to transport on your vacation or work trip.
It helps you sleep at night. Having a regular running routine makes it easier to fall asleep at night. Your body likes to play hard and rest hard. Just remember that over-training can have the opposite effect, so don’t overdo it.
Anyone can run! Yes, there are some extenuating circumstances to this. Generally speaking, if you have legs (and sometimes if you don’t have two legs) and there aren’t extenuating circumstances, you. can. RUN! People are capable of SO MUCH MORE than they believe! Anyone who wants to can be part of this sport! There are no try-outs or exclusions. So lace up, start with a walk-run if that’s where you are, and sign up for the race.
There is so much joy! I recently listened to a podcast where Ryan Hall talked about someone asked him if he was having fun getting back into running. His response was that he wasn’t sure if he was really having fun, but joy and fun are two different things. He went on to say that running brought him a lot of joy. His words were perfect. Not every run is fun. Some runs just stink. But joy? Yes, there is always joy!