Thursday, July 8, 2010

My Love Affair

It's my first post, where do I begin?? It seems appropriate to begin by describing my love affair with running. Well, it all began about 12 years ago when I was in college. I was on quest to stay in shape and become healthier. I had been consumed with food since I was a pre-teen, focused on the calories that I was consuming and how much weight I did or did not gain. I had yet to move beyond the food and discover the underlying issues that were slowly killing me. Gradually, I began to examine my relationship with food and incorporate a comprehensive, healthy lifestyle that entailed healthy eating, exercising, and just taking good care of my body and mind. It would take several years of self-analysis and discovery and many attempts at therapy before I was able to fully understand the depth and width of my "food" issues.

Nonetheless, while in college, I began working out on a regular basis and I slowly added running to the mix. Over the past 12 years, I have fallen in and out of love with running. Like most runners, I have had my fair share of ups and downs. Through it all, I have remained a loyal lover and I have always came back to running. It provides my body and soul with something that I can't always describe... Running is my calm within the storm. Running is my escape from the madness. Running is my time of self-analysis and reflection. Running is my inspiration to get through another day. Running is my strength to push myself farther that I thought was possible. Running is my confidence that I can accomplish any goal that I set. Running is my opportunity to experience the awe and beauty of nature. Running is simply my reminder that I am alive...