As a competitive gymnast, working out and conditioning became almost a default setting to me. I grew up as a competitive gymnast up until my junior year of high school, when I decided to retire from the sport. I was used to having 5-hour workouts nearly everyday, so after my decision to resign from the sport I decided to start running to stay in shape and so I wouldn't gain an excessive amount of weight, which people told me would happen after I quit gymnastics. Yes, I did gain a little bit of weight, even though I forced myself to run everyday. It was kind of a given, since working out 5 hours a day for no sport seemed just a little ridiculous. However, running everyday didn't just help me stay in shape, but it made me an overall happier person.

1. "Runners High"

This is a real thing. I know, running is hard, boring, and can be painful at times. This is why many individuals make the decision to avoid running, as they only look at the negatives that come along with just the physical act of running. It's hard for me to even get myself out the door or get on a treadmill and start running, but once I start running and push through the pain I feel in my legs and not being able to breathe, I feel like I just let all the bad things out of my brain that taunt me on the daily. I also feel accomplished, like I met a goal, and I feel proud of myself for going out and pushing myself to do something not many others have the motivation to do. I feel like, even if it only lasts for a little bit, everything that was stressing me out has been released from my life.

2. Increased Self-Esteem

Not only was I staying in shape, but I felt better about the way I looked. Although I did gain a little bit of weight since my resignation from competitive gymnastics, I knew I didn't look bad, since I was running every day. After every single one of my runs, I felt like I was healthy and in shape. I felt like I was sweating out not only bad thoughts, but the Taco Bell I may have consumed earlier that day. Also, I noticed that exercise cleared up my skin. Whenever I would go one or two days without running, I felt myself break out. I liked the way running made me look, so I felt better about myself, which overall made me a more confident and positive human being.

3. Motivation

Every time after one of my runs, I felt a splurge of motivation to get the rest of my life together. I felt that since I exercised, I might as well get everything else I needed to do out of the way. I became more motivated to complete schoolwork, clean whatever needed to be cleaned, and get anything else I may have needed to do that day out of the way. Running also encouraged me to make healthier choices in my diet, but also did make me feel less guilty when I decided to eat a Quesorito from Taco Bell every now and then. Becoming a runner has motivated me to put my responsibilities first, and made me feel good enough to actually WANT to get everything done.

4. I Learn Something About Myself Every Run I Go On

During every run I go on, I discover something new about myself. Whether it be "wow, I never knew I could run this far!", or "damn, who knew my calves could burn so much", I'm thankful for everything I learn, because then I know what I'm capable of, especially if I ever have had doubts about myself. I also learn what I need to do to improve, and what training techniques I should avoid. For instance, I know I can't run 3 miles at a 6.5 mile pace, so I know I shouldn't set the treadmill to a sprint speed if I want to run longer than normal. However, most importantly, I learned that I could accomplish goals I never thought I could. I used to struggle with just running one mile, and now I'm training for a half marathon. I remember when my mother ran the Boston Marathon and she brought home a poster that read "everything you need to know about yourself you can learn in 26.2 miles", and I just remember reading that and thinking, "well I just ran 5 miles and I'm pretty sure that's far enough to learn everything about myself."

5. I love It

Sure, running is painful, tiring, boring, and challenging, but I love it. I may not be the best, but I know there's no better feeling than working up a good sweat and feeling everything bad just flee my body. Although after about mile 3 I sound like I'm about to die, I'm actually having a blast. The blisters on my feet and the sweat I work up after a 6 mile run may appear to be gross, but it's something to show my motivation and accomplishment, which I wouldn't trade for anything. So trust me, if you ever decide to run, every extra mile will be the most painful fun you will ever have.