Go for a run!

June 3rd is National Running Day!

Why on Earth, you might ask? Why celebrate an activity that, among other things:

• is insanely hard for many (I've run for years, and it's still really hard most of the time. People tell you it gets easier. People lie.);
• can make you feel uncoordinated and inferior to others (I'm really slow...my pace doesn't qualify me as a 'real' runner in certain circles;
• doesn't always seem to bring positive benefits or change (running makes he hungry, I eat more, I don't lose weight. And, after all that running I always end up...back home, where I started);
• makes you look pretty awful during and after (I not only have a shorts tan line, but also a lovely one from my headband. Nice.);
• hurts. During, it can hard to breathe, my right knee sometimes aches, I roll my left ankle, and I get chafed. After, my muscles are sore and sometimes swollen, my hips are unyielding, and if you're really good, you might lose some toenails).

But don't get me wrong. Running can be a fantastic activity--it must be, if I continue to do it, right?. It relieves stress, helps increase bone density and strengthen muscles, improves your cardiovascular system, causes the release of endorphins, gives you the opportunity to meet people in your community (other runners, race organizers and spectators, EMTs), and gets you outside and on the trails, on the sidewalks, into nature. You get to set goals and achieve them on your own schedule, for your own reasons. Running can make you stronger, healthier, and happier. Honest.

So go on, give it a try. If you've ever driven past a runner and wondered briefly 'hmmm...would I like that?', today is your day to find out! Get out for a quick jog, do a run-walk, run some sprints, or go long. Run down to the Library and grab a book about running that will help you get started, train for a race or improve your form, or give you some insight into runners and why they do it.