Why I love running, and you can too!

I realize I might be preaching to the choir here. A small choir. A small choir that will probably fall asleep on me. But hang with me, i’ve got some good stuff!

My hobby of running has come about recently and running and I have come a long way through the years. I used to strongly dislike it. Scratch that, I loathed running. I’m serious, in middle school Tuesdays were deemed “mile days” and if I was “sick” on any day of the week it was Tuesday. Then, I ran track in 7th grade because all my friends were (go figure) and I didn’t like the competitiveness of running (having people counting on me in relays and coaches/runners/spectators yelling at me to move faster during the sprints.) To the yelling people: my short little legs can only carry me so fast!!!! So track and I were done after that. I was okay in soccer with the running thing, because I loved soccer so I didn’t really care about running if I was playing. Same with volleyball, we had to run sprints inside the gym, and on occasion we ran on the track. But it was something I loved to do, so I did. After volleyball season senior year was over, I said a big fat SEE-YA to running and we parted ways.

Then, good ol’ college came along. And yeah, freshman 15. Whatever. We don’t talk about it. I knew I had to start doing some sort of exercise. We had a rec center, but the group exercise classes cost extra so I said no…i’m not a money tree. Trying to get broke college students to pay extra for an exercise class?? Did they get anyone to go?? So I had to start running on the treadmill, ’cause it was free. I like free. BUT I DISLIKED TREADMILL RUNNING SO MUCH! I hated that I stayed in the same place and didn’t feel like I got anywhere and people were next to me and they smelled and I could hear them breathing and it just stunk. Literally and metaphorically. Plus I didn’t lose weight like I was thinking I should have, so I said sayonara treadmill. I tried the elliptical and the stair stepper but it hurt my knees (I have osgood-schlatter for all you docs out there).

I then tried doing some work-outs that I found on Pinterest and I got way too bored with them so I stopped. As for a gym membership, like I said…broke college student…it’s not gonna happen. My dad ran marathons, triathlons, etc. but had to stop a couple years ago. I always saw him running so I began to run, but I only ran one mile at a time. That’s all they taught us in school with our “mile tuesdays” so I thought that’s what I had to do. And I disliked that too. I was exhausted and it was unpleasant and I didn’t look forward to it, so I decided it was on to something else. Thus, my interval running was born.

I love running because….

1. It’s a different kind of “in-shape”. I’ve heard it before and now i’ll repeat it but there is a complete difference in being in shape and being in running shape.
2. It’s refreshing after a lousy day. They say exercise release endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. (Legally Blonde reference…I really hope you caught on)
3. I feel great when i’m exhausted and sweaty. This is totally weird, I know. But it gets your pores to open up, and releases those toxins out of your body. Plus at night you fall asleep so fast cause you’re tired.
4. It’s helped my intestinal health. We’ve already talked about my issue with constipation on my health post. But i’ve noticed that running, well working out for that matter, has increased my gastrointestinal function.
5. It’s free. I don’t have to buy the sidewalk I run on or the air I can breathe? I like that.
6. I love fresh air, it’s good for the lungs. It’s good for the heart. It’s good.
7. You get effects even when you’re not doing it. Running revs your metabolism, so even when you’re at rest your metabolism has still increased from your normal.
8. It tones your entire body. After you do it for a while, you start seeing results. The more often you run, the faster the results.
9. If nothing else, it gets me to drink tonnnnnns of water, and that’s awesome. We need water.
10. It’s AMAZING for you mentally. Running is such a mental thing. If you can push through that last 30 seconds of your interval, you can push yourself to just about most things. And it just gets your mind off whatever is bothering you. See below.

I don’t know, this just gets me pumped up for some reason!!!
ps. this applies to you males too.

My running tips for you:

1. Listen to your body, most importantly. Some days you’ll feel strong like you could run twelve marathons (I haven’t hit that yet), and some days it will feel tough to even get your feet going. On those days don’t push yourself too hard.
2. Change things up. Some days I run intervals of “walk5-run5-walk5-run5-walk5, etc”. Some days walk5-run6-5-6-5-6,etc. “. Sometimes “walk2-run5-walk2-run4-2-3-2-2-1, etc.”. It’s good for the body to change it up so your muscles don’t get in too much of a routine. Plus, I like getting a little “rest” time in between my running time.
3. Get some sort of a watch that will keep time. I keep my iPhone or iPod in that running band (THIS is mine for $6!!) so I don’t want to be looking over at it while i’m trying to run. I use my dad’s super old watch because he can’t use it anymore. I know plenty of people that use the Garmin and love it.
4. Get good shoes. Y’all, I wore Nike Frees allll of high school and the beginning of college for running because they were cool. Ow, did my feet ever hurt. Even at the Nike store the salesperson said those shoes aren’t for working out, they’re for looks. Now, I’m an Asics girl, so you’ll always see me in my favorite shoes. The pair I have is the ASICS Women’s GEL-Noosa Tri 9 Running Shoe and I promise, promise, promise they are worth the money and you will not regret buying them. (Sorry for the sweaty pics, just trying to keep it real haha)
5. Find a playlist. If nothing else it will help distract your mind from the “oh my gosh, I hate this” thoughts. I usually pick either really upbeat songs or songs that take me back to a memory and then i’ll start thinking about that, and what I was wearing, and who I was with, and oh yeah….I just went .5 of a mile.
6. Find a running buddy if you want. I usually go alone because I don’t like people listening to be breathe really heavily haha, but I have before. It gives you some social time, and you’re exercising. Win, win!
7. And lastly…stretch, stretch, stretch!

And when you do ;), take some weird sweaty selfies like mine, and tag me so I can cheer you on!!
Can’t wait to share more fitness posts with you.