I suppose I have the worst relationship of my life to thank for getting me into running. When I was in college, I dated this guy from Texas for six months. It was one of those flings that erupted quickly and died just as fast. He wasn't exactly a winner but that was almost eight years ago now so it's kind of irrelevant.
However, while we were dating, he made a comment about the size of my thighs. For the record, my legs are just fine but nineteen year old me took that hook, line and sinker. When we finally broke up, I was a mess. So I began running. It started with me trying to make my legs thinner and get that "thigh gap" all the girls were striving for in those days. It ended with me discovering the third greatest love of my life aside from reading and writing.
I started running a mile a day and then gradually my time got better and my distances with it. With the music cranking from my head phones and my shoes pounding the pavement, I ran away the pain of that nasty relationship and break up.
These days it's my escape most evenings after caring for my daughter all day. I recently became a stay-at-home parent. I love it, don't get me wrong. Honestly, I've always wanted to be able to stay home with my babies during their formative years and now I have the chance. However, I never knew how draining it would be or how much I would feel lost to myself.
Becoming a parent changes you entirely as a person. There are very few things left to me these days. Yet my writing and my running are wholly mine. When I am out there, cranking out my 5K or whatever, I am only me. Heart thudding in rhythm with my footsteps and lungs burning, my brain swirling around whatever playlist I have going and dreaming up new stories, I truly feel like myself.
I believe a hobby is there to help you escape from the daily drain and discover parts of yourself that lay dormant. While I am running, I feel like a ninja. Its where I feel most beautiful and in control of my surroundings. And as a plus, it helps me be a better momma. 694Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0tl5r4HGK
Now that she's older, I can take my daughter in her jogging stroller. Though I don't know if she will ever love running like I do, I hope as she grows that she'll be able to find hobbies she is just as passionate about.
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