What do you love about running? (Read 1166 times)

I'd like to say that I love the feeling I get when I run. Sometimes that's true, but usually it is all of the stuff that surrounds the runs. I love setting a new record, be it weekly mileage or a race PR. I love the real hunger I get when I'm putting in a lot of miles. It makes you realize that when you aren't getting that level of exercise, you eat because your stomach is empty, not because your body is craving fuel. Everything tastes so much better. I get a similar feeling with sleep. Rather than just being sleepy because I've been awake long enough, I'm really tired and going to bed just feels great.

When I first started running, it wasn't a lot of fun. But I had signed up for a 10K and I wasn't about to make an idiot of myself, so I kept at it. Now I love the powerful feeling I get when I finish a run, especially a long one. It makes me feel like I can do anything. I also love racing, not because of winning (which is a good thing, because I don't!) but because of the camaraderie of the other runners. And I love what it's done for my body. I hate to sound like an infomercial, but I've 42 and I've never been this fit.

I LOVE Your profile picture, as my BFF is my Golden Retriever Frazier...... ( even though HUB is great too!) Ditto on what running is doing for my 41 year old body. Of all the diets and dreadmill walking I have done over the years, nothing is tightening things up quicker than running has. I have only been at it since September of 2007, but man, I could not even Imagine NOT running now. I cannot wait to get to a solid base foundation built so that I can add more days of the week with short/easy runs to really get this sluggish metabolisim ramped up.

The runner's high - endorphins rule I like seeing what I'm capable of It's time alone without "life stuff" or It's time that I can analyze "life stuff" It makes me feel like an athlete the social aspect

I don't love running, per se. It's hard! But I love being a runner. And I love having run. What I love: - definitely that sense of accomplishment after every run - being able to belong to the RA community and the running community at large - having an excuse to buy gear and toys - having a healthy commitment in my life

• endorphins • being able to buy clothes, gear, gadgets and shoes that don't have my hubby (he can't get mad--he's a cyclist and spends far more $ than I do on his sport) • being able to eat like a machine and not gain (though running does make losing tough...it makes me so hungry) • that sense of accomplishment after PRing or completing increasingly long runs and races • a new circle of friends, in large part thanks to this site • good runs • bad runs that remind me how good the good runs are • Pace Bunnies -- they make me HTFU when I don't want to • setting a good example for my kid • being an inspiration to other pudgy moms...I hope they see that runners come in all shapes and sizes and think about taking up a sport for themselves • knees that hurt LESS, regardless of what the common school of thought is on running

Is it the feeling you get when you've finished a run, or how you feel during the run? Is it the accomplishment you feel when finishing a race? Is it the way it keeps you in shape? I love the way I feel while I am running as well as how I feel after the run. I love setting up small short term goals and accomplishing them. I love the way my legs and butt look! I love the fact that running is MY time- it gives me a good reason to dump my kids with my husband and take off. (he does the same to me on his running days) I love being a role model for dd (she wants to run a marathon in the Olympics) I love the gadgets. I love not feeling guilty about how well I am taking care of myself.

It's not the feeling after a run that I love, it's the feeling during a run. It's that moment you look down at the watch and wonder where the time went. How could I cover that distance in what seemed liked an instant. It's a time I can zone out all the days BS. My time.