5 Reasons to Run

For a lot of people, running sucks.  Even for a lot of runners, running sucks.  Yet still, so many people sacrifice sleeping in, physical comfort, and yummy junk food everyday in order to run through the elements at 5am and risk having their knees fall off.  Sounds fun, huh?  So why do so many of us run and LOVE it?  Here are a few reasons:

1.  It's Healthy
Duh.  Everyone knows running is good for you.  It increases cardiovascular health, gives you stronger bones, lowers body fat, increases balance and flexibility, straightens your posture, raises good cholesterol, increases lung function, boosts your immune system, lowers your risk of breast cancer and stroke and can even pull you out of depression related funks.  It has also been shown that runners make healthier eating choices during the day without even thinking about it.

2. Alone Time  
People are always talking about the benefits of meditation.  Sure it helps you to clear and relax your mind but seriously, I can't sit alone on my bedroom floor trying to think or not think about things (not that my dogs would allow that to happen anyway). My meditation is running.  My morning run is my alone time.  I don't have to worry about anything except my steps and breath.  During that time, I'm not a teacher or a wife or a dog-mom or a daughter, I'm just a runner.  

3. Your Thighs Will Look BOOM.

yup.

4. Races
Running anything from a 5K to a marathon with a bunch of other people is so much fun.  There is a great sense of friendship between everyone at a race, even though everyone is looking to kick each other's butts.  It's a huge adrenaline boost to compete against so many people and to hang out with them after the race.  Also, there's usually a ton of free swag from sponsors after the race.





5. You Get to Eat and Drink Whatever You Want
If you're running 10 miles a day, you never, ever have to think about how much you eat.  Of course, eating healthy food is always a good idea, but runners never have to say no to dessert.  You also never have to be "that" girl drinking a vodka-soda (hold the lime, it's extra calories!).  So ladies, drink your beer, eat your second helping of pasta and then run your butt off in the morning.  

See?  Running isn't sucky, so keep it up, all you runners!  Now is the time when new year's resolutions start to crumble, so if running, jogging or working out was one of your goals, keep at it and know that there are lots of people doing the exact same thing as you!

Why do you like to run?  Or, why do you hate to run?  Do you have any tips for fellow pavement pounders?

Good running, everyone!