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My Running Life


I often assign my students to write about their reading life at least once a month. This allows them to reflect on what they have read and how it has impacted their life. It is a great exercise of the mind and gives great insight into what kinds of reading students like to do and what their interests are. However, we too often neglect reflecting on other areas of our life which give us balance and a sense of being centered. Running has always been that activity for me.

Having run competitively from 7th grade through college, running has been a major part of my life. I have gone through different eras in my running career, from beginner to competitive, to a run-for-fitness adult. Each era has allowed me to set different goals and approach each run in a different way; however, one benefit that has remained constant is how I feel after a good run. This latest phase of my running life in which I run for fitness and the joy of running has been an interesting journey. I no longer have specific races I’m training for. Thus, I don’t feel the pressure to always run a certain amount each day, week, or month. That being said, I do still set mileage goals for myself and push myself to get better each month.

The last year and a half have been particularly rewarding because I have built my mileage from doing almost no running over a several year time frame to consistently running 40-60 miles per month, even through the winter. Granted, I used to do that in a week in college, but hey, who’s counting? I feel better about myself and I’m able to set new goals and have some time to think about life as I run. Running provides a lot of stress relief as evidenced by this article in Runner’s World that discussed a study demonstrating the positive effects running had during the most stressful times of our lives.

Yes, I am not the competitive runner that I used to be in college, but I’m happy with this new phase. I look forward to many years of tinkering and enjoying just being a runner and allowing the added benefits to boost me to better health, mindset, and fulfillment.

Here is a picture of my college running days because I’m sure my students would enjoy seeing it and giving me a hard time! Check out those shorts! Yikes!

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