I am not a runner by any means. I have never done track or cross country or even participated in a formal race. I have been running sporadically, usually just two or three miles, for about 4 years, but I was never consistent until recently, so I never improved. In June I started to get more serious, running almost every day and using an app called Strava for pacing and distance. One of my biggest milestones of the summer was running five miles. This may sound like nothing to many actual runners, but I had never managed to run more than three miles in my life, so to me it felt huge. From there I was able to run six, seven, and even eight miles, something I never imagined I would be able to do.

This was very meaningful to me because I don’t often gain pride from physical activity. I have never been very athletic, so this feeling of physical strength and power that comes from pushing myself during a run was entirely foreign to me. It felt amazing to keep seeing the distance increase and the pace decrease. However, I am very careful not to put too much emphasis on either of these things. I try to run for joy, and if on a given day it’s going to make me happier to go slower, than I would rather do that. This is why I love being a hobby runner, because I don’t have coaches pressuring me to be faster or teammates to compete with. I just try to listen to my body, and do what feels right. I also try really hard not to associate running with making my body look a certain way, although I am proud of the muscle I have built.

The start of senior year has been incredibly busy, but I am trying to keep up the habit  throughout the year, because if I have made so much progress four months, I can’t wait to see what I can do in a year. It has been difficult recently, though, and required a lot more discipline, because often the last thing I want to do after a long day of school and extracurriculars is go on a run. I am trying to internalize the idea that any run is better than no run, so trading intensity or distance for consistency is a success. It’s always hard to start, but I have never regretted making myself go, and the feeling afterwards is unbeatable. I love running, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.