If everything else fails, run!

When I started running I was at a very low point in my life. I just knew that I needed to change something, I needed to do something different. I just didn't know what. I had no money, no job, no prospects and I was tired of feeling sorry for myself. But I had time and running shoes.

I never expected to get so much pleasure from it. Hitting the road gave me a sense of freedom and a sense of accomplishment that were totally unexpected. 

I've had gym memberships before and I had to drag myself to the gym more often than not. Even paying that membership fee didn't really motivate me to get off my butt and get in shape. I also hated the treadmill and running for fifteen to twenty minutes on it bored me to tears. I saw it a necessary evil that had to be done but I never enjoyed it.

I ended up quitting the gym without really seeing serious results. But once you've tasted being active, getting back to life of inactivity just doesn't do it for you any more. After a long break and with much persuasion from my husband I started running. And I was hooked.

Nothing beats getting out of bed and hitting the road first thing in the morning. The exhilaration of arriving home after a long tough run can be so addictive that you can't wait for the next day to do it all over again. Knowing that you are up and running while most of the world is still asleep makes you feel like an absolute champion.

Good changes also happened mentally and emotionally:

• I started feeling happier, more confident and on top of the world
• I started believing that anything is possible.
• I become more focused and more positive.
• My eating habits improved as I become more aware of what I was eating and started eating more healthily

These changes crept up on me as continued running, I wasn't consciously thinking about it. 

I also learned some valuable lessons from running:

• Starting is the hardest thing - you have to talk yourself into starting. I've been thinking of doing it for a long time before I actually did it.
• Start small and be realistic about your expectations - don't try to run a marathon when you start. Take it slow and listen to your body, it will guide you on how far you can go.
• Finish what you've started - you have to complete the race once you started it, there's no turning back
• Some days are much harder than others - there are days that running is a breeze, then there are days that it's a huge struggle. For no reason at all. 
• Don't give up even when you fall - I fell more than once when I was running. The one time that stood out was when I fell in a very busy road in front of a lot of people. There was gravel on the pavement. Before my fall my jacket was white. After the fall it was orange. I had to dust myself off and kept on running.
• It takes time before you start seeing results - you won't see changes to your body in the beginning. 
• Patience - you have to be patient enough not to give up while you are working at it
• Consistency - you have to do it regularly if you want to see results
• Discipline - it takes discipline to do things for yourself, not because you have to or someone told you to do, but because you have the desire to improve yourself.
• Nothing comes easy - it takes hard work and effort to finally start seeing results. There's no such thing as overnight results and there are no short cuts, lasting results take time and effort.
• Push yourself a little more each time - As your running progresses it's great to push yourself a little to see how far you can go. Not too much, just a little, you might surprise yourself.
• Pace yourself - you can't keep the same pace throughout. In some places you run slower, at others you pick up the pace a bit more. Just like in life you have days where you can do a lot, and other days you do a little less.

These are just some of the benefits running brought into my life. It was very hard in the beginning. The first time my legs were so sore and stiff that I couldn't climb the stairs. It took a while before I was able to run without walking at certain points. There were moments that home seemed too far away and I thought that I just couldn't go on any more. But once I started doing it just for the pure joy of it and forgot about results and losing weight, it became much easier.

Running and life have so much in common. It not only strengthens me mentally but it also teaches me balance and gives a new perspective on life.