When I run, there are no phones, no texts, and no emails. On the road, I am in the zone and unreachable. When I run, all I think about is putting one foot in front of the other, tackling the mile ahead and not worrying about the entire distance to be run. I welcome the joy I feel as I train and the sense of accomplishment from the weekly totals of 30, 40, and 50 miles because it means that I am accomplishing more than I ever thought was possible. I never allow myself to stop, knocking down one workout at a time, crossing them out on my printed excel spreadsheet. It’s become a part of me and who I am. The days I don’t run (i.e. Friday mornings) I feel lost and out of step. I have begun to get addicted to the endorphin’s and the “runners high,” but more importantly, the love I have discovered for myself and my body as it has shown and taught me that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Running keeps me moving forward and allows me to live a healthy and exciting life! Running is my therapy!
Running with friends is therapeutic!!
Friends make the time and miles go by. It’s nice to get lost in conversation and be able to share your passion, love, and enjoyment for running. It feels like a sacred bond that only we share. What is talked about on the road stays on the road! In fact, since we spend so many hours together throughout the week, I don’t just consider my running peeps friends, but my family. They are always great listeners, supporters, advisers, and advocates and I could not be more grateful for each of them. Who needs to see a therapist to talk about your problems, dreams or desires when you have bunch of faithful, loyal, trustworthy and reliable friends you spend each and every week with?
If that hasn’t convinced you enough, here is some other reasons running with friends is so awesome, motivating, and therapeutic:
- They push you to go harder- Group runs help you go faster and provide accountability and motivation as you grind out workouts (i.e. hill repeats or long runs).
- They compel you to happily run more- Maybe it’s a wrong turn or in depth conversation, but whatever the case, the extra miles you may run are never wasted.
- They show you your potential- They believe in you and you are able to feed off of their energy so you believe in you too!
- After a great run with friends you cannot stop smiling.
Running + Friends= 1 Happy Keri
“The magic of the group is that each time one person takes a step up, everyone else follows suit,” -Tony Coffey
