RUN 7

When i started running i obsessed with not stopping, trying to keep going, minimizing how much walking i needed on a long run, signing up for races to give me extra motivation... I've come to realize how worthwhile those efforts were. I really look forward to the races now, I have one this Sunday, but i don't need the race to motivate my running anymore, and i don't feel pressure to perform during my runs, i have confidence in the effort I've put in already and that's a really satisfying feeling, it means i can stop and take in a view and not worry about breaking stride or form. That's not to say i don't take the races seriously, because i do, they're typically longer than most of my daily/weekly runs, but i know that if I really wanted to, i could go out and run 20 miles tomorrow if i wanted. What I'm realizing is that in running, like life... the rewards depend on how much you put into it. Running takes me places I wouldn't perhaps ordinarily go, and it gives me great peace and balance being able to stop and soak in those places.