I run because it provides a connection, an intimacy, with my environment.
For the most past, I run solo on the same path most days of the week. I’ve seen this route at the break of day, in afternoon rain and lit by my headlamp after dark. I’ve witnessed the leaves changing in the fall, and cherry blossoms that come in the spring. The boats that anchor in the bay during the summer and the near silence in the winter. I’ve watched a beaver swim in the water. An eagle surveying the land. I’ve seem homes built from the ground up, and gardens grow where land was barren before.
And it’s not only my surroundings, but the cast of characters along the way: That fast old guy with skinny legs. The homeless dude that walks the lake. That gal with the crazy arm swing. The speed walker that picks up garbage as she goes. The group of old men that walk every morning. I don’t know them, but I feel like I do.
This is one of my favorite parts of the run.
And now it’s your turn. Why do you run?
I’d love to know.
I wrote this article for WatchFit about the reasons to run that you might never think about ~ most people can list the “major” reasons: health, fitness, lose weight, etc. But writing this article made me think about all of the “other” reasons, and there are more than 15. So periodically I’m going to post why I run – and you can replace run with whatever it is you do, it’s still applicable. Happy moving!
