Ten Reasons I'm Thankful for Running

Inspired by Another Mother Runner's post, I decided to do my own list of ten reasons that I'm thankful for running.

1.  Bonding with my husband-One of the best days of this past year was the time that I spent with him out on the trails at Oil Creek pacing him to his 100K finish.  I love our running dates especially our time on the trails together.

2.  Moms Run This Town and all of my women runner friends-I have met so many wonderful and supportive women through running.  Women who inspire me and encourage me every single day.

3.  Time spent running with my kids (and other people's kids)-I love the time that I spend racing with my kids and watching them achieve new goals.  I also helped coach cross country with The Running Store youth team for the first time this year, and I loved the Tuesday and Thursday afternoons watching the kids and their sense of accomplishment throughout the season.

4.  Sanity-On days when everything just feels overwhelming, a good run will clear my mind and help me focus and prioritize the day ahead.  My alone run times are also my time to talk with God...sounds strange, I know, but I do a lot of praying while running.

5.  Determination-Running has taught me so much over the past few years.  I have learned never, ever to give up on myself, and that there is nothing I can't accomplish if I am determined to go after that goal.

6.  Laughter and joy-When I am out running with my friends, my husband, my kids, or just running by myself, I am happy and full of joy.  It doesn't matter how bad the day is...a good run always picks me up.

7.  Pride and humility-Running has taught me to be proud of my accomplishments even the ones that don't seem that big to anyone else.  Running has also taught me humility because there is always that next bad run to bring you right back to earth and get you back to work.

8.  Health-Not only has running changed my body from the pure physical activity, but it has also transformed the way I eat and the way I feed my family.

9.  Inspiration-I have been inspired by a lot of runners over the year, but I have also been the inspiration for some runners too.  I recently got a note from a runner friend that said that I was one of the inspirations for the running goals that she had achieved during the past year.  Being someone's inspiration makes my heart sing.

10.  Nature and quiet time-One of the reasons that I love trail running so much is that it gives me the opportunity to get out in nature and experience some much needed quiet time.  As an introvert, I need time to recharge and trail running gives me just that time to do it.