The joys of running

I have to admit, now that I've become a runner (and I do consider myself a runner - if you disagree see quotes below), there are a lot of joys in running. Like the ability to push myself mentally and physically. After 13.1 miles of straight running, I consider myself mentally and physically prepared to run. There's also the sheer will to run. Once I start running, I cannot allow myself to stop until I've crossed the finish line or at least my destination. More times than not, I am able to go even farther than planned. I don't even mind the running alone part - in fact I both embrace and enjoy it. It gives me a chance to clear my mind and figure my out my emotions.

There are however, some things that any runner, new or old, "forget" to mention about the quality of the sport. For instance, the chaffing. It never stops even with the anti-chaffing sticks and spandex shorts, it's just something you have to get used to. The blisters. They're the worst. Blisters don't care how far you run or what shoes you wear, they just appear all over your feet. And I mean all over. For instance, I recently got a blister near the toe nail on my second toe. After draining it, but leaving the skin on, I figured it would heal up as most blisters do (sometimes you just have to run through the pain and discomfort). Well, this paticular bliter is causing my said toe nail to fall off. It's literally hanging on by th cuticle. Then there's the soreness. No matter the distance, muscles become sore. Again, just something you learn to deal with. Lastly, the sweat. While running long distances is my new passion, I do find it a bit irritating when the sweat drips down my forehead and floods into my eyes bring not only dirt but old makeup. My eyes tear up and then I run around for a few seconds with the inability to see. It's fabulous.

But in all reality, I do love running. There's just something about the pushing yourself until you've got nothing left that's both addicting and rewarding. You should try it.

Here are a few of my favorite running quotes:

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
--John Bingham

"I often hear someone say I'm not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner."
-Bart Yasso

"I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought."
--Arthur Blank

"Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best."
--Michael Johnson

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham