Life and Running

Most of you know I’m a runner. I’m not the best or the fastest, but I am a runner and I love it. For the first time in life, I have found a hobby that truly takes me somewhere. Not just physically, but mentally. I get major benefits from running. The obvious ones are physical…lose weight, get in better shape, overall health improves and I get somewhat of a tan year round from it…but it’s the mental benefits that make this an awesome sport for me. There are so many parallels when it comes to running and living life. I can’t help but to think about them every time I run.  As I continue to post, I will share the things I learn from running and how it can be applied to life as I know it.

One major point I’ve learned is life it’s not about finishing first, it’s about finishing well.
When running a race there are those that run because they want to compete and win or work on getting a faster time, nothing wrong with that at all. It’s part of the sport. What I’m talking about is the process of running (literally) and walking (figuratively) through life. When you are training for a running event, most people run knowing there are going to be times where they have to slow down and walk for a brief moment of recovery before picking up the pace and running further down the road. To put this in terms that we understand from just living from day to day, there are times when you as a person just need to slow down a bit. Taking time to breath in deep the issues of life and using these moments to think through the next step or try to work something out before picking up the pace and getting on with life. Sometimes we call this a time out. Some might call it time off…others might just view it as a time of depression or a slow time for them…the list is on going. No matter what, something in life is forcing you to slow down and you have to listen to what is happening and respond to it. When you are running, your body will tell you when it’s time to walk. You have to listen to your body and know this is what’s happening. So…I ask you. Are you at a time in your life where you are running strong or a time where you need to slow down and listen to what’s going on around you? Either way, just know it’s a part of the process…more to come tomorrow.