Why I Run

My next post will be about the Conference... but today I wanted to focus on another part of my life.

This is kind of a raw and open post sharing a little bit about me.

I know I post about how far I've run in Facebook posts and it might annoy people (in which case they should just block my posts from appearing in their feed), but I wanted to write about why I run because I don't do it just so I can brag about mileage.

Right now I'm running longer distances because I'm training for a race, but when I'm not training for a race, I'll still run (just not as far). The big part of it is mental health. I suffer from anxiety and depression. Running is the only thing that helps me through it without having to take brain altering medication (which I took for 3 years and the 3 months it took me to get off of it was hands down the worst 3 months of my life).

Below are the other reasons why I run.

I run to keep in shape. I run because I used to be pre-hypertension. I run for my self esteem. I run for my mood. I run to keep depression away. I run for the accomplishment of hitting mileage goals. I run to relax. I run because it makes me feel good. I run because I’m strong. I run because I have body image issues. I run for the endorphin high. I run so I can eat anything I want. I run to sleep better at night. I run so I have a reason to be lazy the rest of the day. I run for my health. I run for my heart. I run for my lungs. I run to keep my legs strong and lean. I run to see how far I can push myself. I run to prove to myself I can do more than I think. I run for my confidence. I run to cleanse my mind of negative thoughts. I run because it empowers me.

Most importantly, I run because I can.

Keep Writing (and running),
Claire L. Fishback