Running On Motivation

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...