Why Did I Start Running?

A LOT of people start running to run away from something.  A bad relationship.  The death of a loved one.  Whatever the reason, it was something they couldn’t process or deal with so they started running to burn off the stress.  While this accounts for a large portion of why people start running, it is not everybody’s reason.  It’s not mine.

 

Another big reason people start running is to lose weight.  Running is one of THE MOST effective ways to burn the most calories in a short period of time.  This isn’t my reason either.  I mean, I was in the process of losing weight when I started running, but it’s not THE REASON I started running.

 

Yet another reason people start running is to maintain a weight loss.  They want to maintain the weight they lost, but be able to eat pretty much whatever they want without the risk of regaining the weight.  As I mentioned, I was in the process of losing weight when I started running, so maintaining a weight loss isn’t my reason either.

 

I know what you’re thinking.  Those are the top 3 reasons that people start running.  What the heck could possibly be my reason to start running if it’s not one of those three things?  I wanted to.  That’s right.  I just wanted to run.  I felt the urge, the “need” to run.  I felt like it was what I was destined to do with my free time.  Did I have things to run away from?  You bet I did.  I had/have plenty of things I do not want to or know how to deal with and, yes, running does help me deal with them.  But, like I said, that wasn’t even a factor in why I started running.  Did I have weight to lose and could have benefitted in that aspect by starting running?  Oh yes indeed I did.  But, again, not why I started.

 

I don’t know how to explain this urge, this “need,” I felt to run.  I had been walking for quite some time at time I started running and it had gotten to be a stale activity for me.  It wasn’t “exciting” enough for me, if you will.  Not that there’s anything wrong with running.  Nope, I still occasionally go for nice long walks and completely enjoy them.  But, at the point where I figured running was the thing for me, walking just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. 

 

I can sit here and honestly type that running is just as amazing as I hoped it would be.  I did have an obstacle to overcome before I could become a full-fledged runner.  I had HORRIBLE shin splints.  I couldn’t even go for a ¼ mile jog/run without extreme pain in my shins.  I went to a doctor that specializes in soft tissue damage repair and 4 extremely painful fascia smoothing treatments later, I was running pain free!  (I don’t know if the company is just in Texas or if they’re nationwide, but it was Airrosti).

 

So, the reason I started running is just, simply, I wanted to.  It doesn’t get any easier than that, really.

Why do you run?