#runchat is having a love of running week and in response to that, I am giving you my 5 reasons I love to run!- Relieves stress - When I run it is my time to really assess what is going on and what is important. It lets me work through the hurdles of the day, the stresses I may have, and prioritize what really is important and what needs to be tossed away. I often find myself really reflecting on what is important in life and becoming grounded in my spirituality. It is my time and that time may include prayer.
- Inspires creativity - Once the troubles that I have no control over are tossed to the side, my mind is freed to reflect on other things. I come up with ideas when I run - ideas for life or ideas for my blog. I am not the most "creative" of people but during a run I become the most creative me I can be.
- Builds strength - We all know exercise is good for your body in terms of cardiovascular health and physical strength but to me, running takes me further. Not only am I building on my physical strength, I am building on my emotional and mental strength. This makes me a better person - a better wife, mom, and employee, a better citizen.
- Flushes out toxins - Scientifically speaking, I am not sure how many toxins are actually flushed out of your body during a run but a good, sweaty run always makes me feel cleansed from the inside out. Yes, I still need to take a shower to smell nice and refreshed but I feel the increased blood flow helps keep the juices flowing. And I can't say with 100% certainty if it is the running daily or the extra water consumption that is a direct side effect, but since I been on my running streak I seem to be healthier overall. Yes, I still get sick but I tend to recover quicker…and that is a very good thing.
- Creates happiness - Even with all the benefits listed above, if running didn't make me happy, I probably wouldn't do it. I truly do love the feel of a run. The slow ones may be harder to love some days but that is only because I am getting too competitive with myself. I remind myself to cherish the slow so I can fully appreciate and drink in the wonder of going fast. And yes, slow and fast is completely relative but that makes me happy too. Running is a sport where doing your best and the journey is the reward. Each step is a reward. What could be simpler than that? And that makes me happy.
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for humpback whales.Daily Affirmation: I accept people as they are.
