6 Effing Reasons You Should Run

Disclosure statement: this post was brought to you by the letter F. Rated G for Global Running Day.

In case you missed it, Wednesday was Global Running Day. Did you get your run in?

It seems as though there's a day for everything, isn't there? How did this even come about? For example, today is National Strawberry Rhubarb Day. I don't really care for rhubarb, but I can guarantee that my husband and his father would be all over this holiday. If only they knew that it existed!

Some might call it frivolous, but in this case, I'm glad there's a day to celebrate my favorite activity. Even though Global Running Day falls on a day that I don't normally run, I chose to commemorate this special day with a virtual 5k. My incentive? A free medal I received from I Love to Run that asks the question: Why do you run?

I might take that question a little bit further and ask: "why should you run?"

Here are 6 reasons to run, all starting with the letter "F". Don't let the post title fool you. This post is 100% safe for work.

Fitness: The most obvious reason to run is for fitness. Done at least 3-5 times per week, running will lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure, thus lowering your risk for stroke. Running can help reduce your risk of developing diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and depression. Running can also increase your awesomeness quotient by 100%. According to at least one study, running can make you sexier.

source: www.theawkwardyeti.com

Fighting fatness: My medical assistant tells me that the word "fat" is offensive. Fine. Fluffy, fleshy, flabby--no matter how you say it, running burns calories and helps people fight obesity. Even after you complete a run, your body is still a calorie burning machine. But don't use your run as an excuse to go home and gorge on a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Or cupcakes.

Fun: Running is fun! Yes, running is hard, and there are some days where you will ask yourself why you run. In fact, there will be many days you will be tempted to say "eff this" and head to the bakery for donuts. But then there's that breakthrough run, where you feel like you can fly forever. Some call it the runner's high. The memory of those runs is what gets you through the tough ones. You never know when you're going to have a run like that, which makes it fun when you do.

Fashion: The clothes! The shoes! Sure, you can just throw on a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt and go. Or you could wear some flashy neon colored shirt and shorts and let the world know: "I'm an effing runner!" You don't have to spend a lot to look good--Old Navy has really upped their fitness fashion and TJ Maxx and Marshalls are always reliable sources for attractive, on-fleek running gear.

Friends: There's a saying that "runners are all friends you haven't met". We all get each other. We pass each other on a run and nod or wave. Join a running club or go to a race and meet other runners. We speak our own language. It's a crew that's fun to be a part of and the only requirement to join is that you run. Don't think you're not good enough either. If you run, you're a runner.

Fierceness: Running boosts self-confidence. Just ask anyone who's finished a half or full marathon. Setting goals and conquering a long distance race takes a lot of courage and inner strength, and those traits will carry over into your life off the road. Trust me on this one.

Don't ask me why I run, ask yourself why you don't. I'm sure you can think of many other reasons to run, but they don't all start with the letter "f". So put on your effing footwear and go!

What reasons can you think of? Bonus points if you can think of any reasons that start with "f" that I didn't think of. Why do you run? Did you celebrate Global Running Day?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for the Friday Five 2.0! Yep, I know I have 6 reasons but I just couldn't stop!