Girl, Why You Runnin'?

http://www.runningday.org/

Happy National Running Day.

In honor of the now belated occasion I thought I'd finally get to the post about why I choose to lace up most days of the week and subject myself to what most people view as torture.

I was not always a runner.  In fact, I never dreamed I'd like running.  The Love of running for me came on slowly.

I have always been a pretty athletic person.  Sports and active fun always came easy for me.

Growing up on the island my activities of choice were bike riding and kickball.  I learned to ride my bike pretty well. I could coast pretty far, standing with no hands-- a trick I still take pride in today, obvi.  The most running I ever did was in our after school kickball games in the projects.  I developed calves of steel as I would pummel the ball and take off as fast as I could to my base (with or without shoes like the typical island child).  

High school was my introduction to more refined sports.  Tennis and Volley ball...not exactly running sports.  During the same time I picked up Ultimate Frisbee. I played at camp most summers and recreational Ultimate Frisbee in college.  I was pretty good (especially on the backhand side).  Playing Frisbee, required bursts of energy, strength and endurance to be able to cover the field for as long as it takes.  Still, an hour on the field is a totally different story than 3 hours on the road...by yourself.

So, how did I get into running? 

Like I said earlier, it came on slowly.  I just kinda fell into it.

My first attempt at running was the summer after my junior year in college.  I had decided that I wanted to spend the summer working up to a mile.  I hated it.  I don't remember how it went but I don't remember celebrating.  Running like that didn't make much sense to me then.  It just seemed like a lot of work.

And then it was 2009.  My goals in life had changed.  I moved back to the city, joined a gym and set out to lose 28 pounds.

Initially running wasn't a part of the equation but in the end, running ended up taking over.

getting ready for a run

I would run/walk to warm up-- 2 minutes maybe-- then start my workout.  The only thing was one week I could run for only 2 minutes, then the next I could run for 3 and then 5 and before I knew it I could run a mile without stopping.  With my increased fitness, I was enjoying the challenge of the running workout more than my other routines.  What started out as a way to warmup before working out continued and grew because running is awesome.

Summer of 2010, I entered my first road race, the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, as part of my company's team.  Later that summer I read Born to Run by Chris McDougal :) and the rest is a story to be continued... (I hate it when they do that!).

In the mean time tell me...

 Why do you run?

If you don't run, what's your go-to way to stay active?

Can you also coast on your bike standing up with no hands? 

Update: Girl, Why You Runnin'? Part II