When your legs can’t run anymore, run with your heart …

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…”

Top 10 reasons to RUN :

1. .You can do it anywhere! – Run that is. A treadmill, a park, the track, your neighborhood. My favorite is running on vacation.  You get to see things and go places a car can not. It’s the best form of tourism! Go explore, I bet there are parts of your own city you haven’t even seen.
2. Eat more carbs! – Your body needs something to burn so enjoy that pasta dinner with an extra breadstick. Pre-race “carbo” loading could help your race performance and those hard runs plus who doesn’t love carbs!
3. Live longer! – Aerobic activity benefits the heart and vascular function –  in other words you’re adding years to your life!
4. Run the stress away! –  Instead of watching that Neflix marathon how about you run a real marathon. Your serotonin levels rise and you might train your brain to be more calm and stress resistant. Ever heard of the “runner’s high”, it’s real. And, it’s true, it’s “cheaper than therapy”.
5. No expensive equipment! – Alright, so my Asics and Nike obsession gets pretty expensive but really all you need to splurge on is a solid pair of running shoes and you are set.  It’s free, need I say more? You don’t even need to pay for that gym membership because running outside is more exciting than watching a bunch of beef heads from the “dreadmill” anyways.
6. Strong core! – Admit it, you want rockin’ abs! Your core is more than just that. Running alone won’t give you a six pack but running benefits a conditioned trunk and helps in the stability of your hips, pelvis, and knees. A strong core even helps with posture and in return strengthens your running form to run faster!
7. Prove to yourself! – The strongest form of triumph comes from running. That I “can do” this attitude and sense of accomplishment. That you achieved what you though was impossible and fought so hard to feel that way. It is so powerful when you finish your first race, PR, did your longest run, or even got out there and simply finished the run.
8. Clearing your mind! – Turn off the world for a minute. Turn on your music, run with a friend, or enjoy nature and forget about social media or what anyone thinks. It provides simplicity to your life just going out for a run. We could all use a little alone time.  Most of the time my life problems can be figured out on my long runs, double benefits, love it!
9. Meet people! – The running community is a lot closer and tight knit than you might think! Running alone is convenient and all but I have experienced a deeper connection to those people who pound the pavement with you everyday. There are running groups everywhere that love to run and would absolutely enjoy a running partner to get them through. People who run, love talking about running and they love seeing people excel in their own dreams on and off the road!
10. To make a difference – Saved the best for last. Try racing for a charity because I promise you that when you want to give up and you are tired, remember why you signed up and people you are benefiting by being there.

There are SO many more reasons why you should run; it is the most efficient means of weight loss, lowers risk of cancer, lowers blood pressure, and the list could go on an on.  When people ask why I run, I love it. Simple as that.