Running, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Share 9 Ways that You May Not Have Considered

Why do we love to run?

Some of us run for fitness or weight loss, some for stress relief. Others run because they love to race or to collect bling. But there might be other reasons to love running that you may not have considered.

For Valentine's Day, it seemed appropriate to share my love for running. Besides the obvious reasons, I've got a few others that make running hold a special place in my heart.

1. I love running clothes. I have more running clothes than I need and I keep buying more. Because, the tights. The singlets. The half zips. The skirts. I've got black and I've got neon. Warm weather gear and polar vortex gear. I've also got a pretty impressive sock collection that broke my dresser drawer. Some may even call me obsessed. My husband won't fix the drawer until I pare down my lot. There it sits in the middle of my bedroom. Silver lining: it does give me easy access to all my socks.

2. Running is hard and I love that it has conditioned me to ignore all the little aches and pains that I get from time to time. I also tend to ignore illness, unless I'm so sick that I can't run. Then I know it's a "real illness". When I was diagnosed with RA, my doctor ran through a list of symptoms with me. Reflecting back, I had been feeling those symptoms for a while. It wasn't until the dramatic big toe flare that I was forced to seek medical attention. I couldn't walk, much less run, which was a sign I needed to pay attention to it.

3. I love that running has taught me not to take myself so seriously. I sing out loud when I'm running. I stop to take selfies and do yoga poses in public places. I love that I can write a post about a portapotty disaster and no one shames me. At least to my face, that is.

4. I love that I earned the right to put a 26.2 sticker on my car. Oh sure, 100 miles is the new 26.2. In reality, when you consider that less than 0.1% of all Americans ran and finished a marathon last year, 26.2 is still an accomplishment worthy of a car magnet.

5. I love running because it keeps me young. Maybe I can't run as fast as my sons, but in general, I can keep up with them. You know my motto, "because sitting on the sidelines is no fun"? I came up with that way before I was a blogger when I saw a mom who was watching her kids SUP on the water. My boys and I were finishing up our time on the water and from the bench she was sitting on, she commented on how I seemed to be having as much fun as them. Isn't that the idea?

And then there's this...

6. I love wearing my finisher medal the day after I finish a race. Some call it douchey but you know what? I earned it and I'm proud of it. Of course, after Big Sur, the bartender complimented me on my "necklace"...

Best "necklace" ever

7. I love connecting with other runners on social media and in real life. We runners are a special group. Non-runners don't get us. That's why need each other. We blog about running and we post our escapades all over social media. When we get together, we get to talk about running non-stop.

We spent the entire weekend together and never ran out of things to talk about! 

8. I love running no matter where I am. I love that I can pack my shoes and an outfit and just go. I love that I'm conditioned to be able to run. Running is an adventure and it's so much fun exploring new running routes.

Running Lady Bird trail in Austin with my sister

9. Most of all, I love being known as "the runner" to my friends, family, and co-workers. Running is part of who I am and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Yes, I've run this road to the Washington Island ferry in Door County Wisconsin

What do you love most about running? Happy Valentines' Day!

with apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

I'm linking up with Marcia, Erika, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run; Debbie, Susie, Rachel, and Lora for Coaches Corner, and Nicole, Annemarie, and Jen for Wild Workout Wednesday!