What Running has done for Me

I never considered myself a runner. I was that overweight kid in junior high that hated PE.  I hated that I got tired and sweaty after running. I used to think that running 1/2 a mile was a lot. However, that changed near the end of junior high. I wanted to lose weight before entering high school.

I started off my weight loss by running. My mom made me wake up early in the morning and run in the backyard. I ran for 10 minutes. That's how it was when I was in 8th grade. It was either running in the morning or a little before dinner time. I was happy when I was able to run for 14 minutes!

I didn't really think about the benefits running gave me until my junior year of high school. I started running for longer periods of time and it really helped me deal with the stress I was going through during that time. Talk about an hour of running! You can say that running is a type of therapy for me. After dealing with the stress, I started running for shorter periods of time (30 minutes instead of an hour). I had already lost the weight half-way through freshman year of high school and I just needed to maintain my weight. I didn't have that stress anymore.

Come to freshman year of college, my uncle started to pick up running (the one that loves to drink Dr. Pepper, if you've read my weight loss journey post)! He joined a local running group and told me all about it. He runs 5ks and runs when he can. He motivated me to start running even more.

By the end of my first year of college, my weekly mileage increased! Starting mid-July of this year, I decided to start training for a half-marathon, which my uncle fully supports. My training has really helped me deal with the stress I dealt through during college and the summer. I noticed that I tend to run better when I'm stressed.

I don't know where I'd be right now if I hadn't picked up running. It really has helped me get through the hard times. I also supplement my running with yoga, which helps quite a lot!

There are so many benefits to running. You should try it out if you haven't already. All you need are shorts, a t-shirt and a good pair of running shoes (sneakers). That's the great thing about running. You can run anywhere and at any time. There's no need for fancy equipment either!

What's your favorite activity to do?
Do you run?