Running On Motivation

Finishing 2 miles - a victory in 2016. 13.1 miles... That's 68,640 feet - a little over two 10K (6.1 miles) races combined and - for me - an estimated two hours of running. I've not yet trekked for more than an hour and half on the pavement - but the essence of challenging one's self is setting out to accomplish a goal that once seemed impossible or impassible. Every time the cat gets out of the bag and people find out that I'm a runner, they automatically ask if I run marathons, assuming that anyone who runs any distance pines to cover TWICE the half marathon mileage for a total of 26.2 miles. That would take the average runner 4-5 hours if they've had intense and regular training for several months before the big race, as "professionals" finish within a little over 2 hours. When I began my running journey in April/May 2015, I had no long-term goals or interests to invest so much time in the sport. Four years later, with dozens of races...

Plenty of people will congratulate you for being a runner. They’ll support you and say you’re a great source of motivation in all different facets of life, since being a runner helps athletes stay mentally and emotionally strong as a result of all the challenges we’ve forced ourselves to face. Other people will hear that you’re a runner and throw a melange of myths and “old wives tales” at you, as if to question why you’re even bothering putting your body and mind through so much! Regardless of why some friends and family think they know “everything” about the human body and what running does to someone’s overall health, acknowledging that there are myths about the sport can help you come to terms with all of those beliefs and phrases you hear about “through the grapevine” that actually make no sense ! Some of the myths about running are created by those who have possibly tried to run but weren’t properly prepared mentally or physically to take on the challenges. Other myths and...

Before I began running, I considered myself a pretty strong minded individual. I coped well with many losses and challenges - meaning I never turned to unhealthy sources or lifestyles to dissolve my stress. When my father passed away in October 2010, I don't recall how I coped with my loss other than obsessing over his photos and our memories as a way of holding onto his existence. Now, I wish I'd had running in my life in those moments in need - but we're given what we need when we need it, and as runners we're lucky to have that on our side... It's so cliche -and obvious - to state that 'everyone deals with changes, losses and transitions in their own way'. It may not be cliche to say that runners are a special breed of humans who find resiliency in their own progress and there's just something about us that sets us apart from those who aren't physically active. We're by NO means better, stronger or tougher when it comes to dealing wit...

I am not a "professional runner." I probably don't have all of the answers on how to "win" a major race and I may never actually participate in a marathon that comprises of covering 26.2 miles in under 2 hours. However, I am a runner who is inspired by the challenges accompanied by pushing myself physically and mentally to a level of self discipline that most people may not want to embark upon. As a reporter for a small Brooklyn newspaper years ago, I was one day forced to run as fast as I could to get a photo of a car accident that took place not too far from my office.  Getting the "money shot" of the accident victim on a stretcher was priority and I didn't think of whether or not I was in good enough shape to run even a mile without feeling winded. Without questioning my stamina, I raced to the scene and the adrenaline pumping through my veins was enough to feel an addiction coming on - and a transformation taking place that chang...