I appreciate all of my runs but it's very easy to get in the mindset of feeling like a run needs to be a certain distance or speed in order to be a "good run".

I remember when I first started my running journey a single mile was the longest mile on Earth. I was uncomfortable, I couldn't breathe, my legs hurt. I thought: "why the hell do people do this on purpose?". I'm not going to lie, sometimes it still feels that way but my perspective has changed.

After reaching my milestone of being able to run a mile nonstop, it suddenly became "just" a mile.

Now that I focus on accumulating more miles or running those miles faster, why should that one little mile ever be a cause for celebration?

Although, I can walk a mile faster than the first time I ran it is that I know that I will never be the woman consistently on top of the podium or the runner who does the most challenging races. However, I can be the runner who can find value in one mile or many more.

This is because every run is an opportunity to prove to myself that I am capable of a lot more than I give myself credit for.

Runs are tough both physically and mentally. The fastest way I've found to get through the discomfort is to embrace every inch of it. The second I stop fighting, let go and just allow the run to be slower or harder, I've suddenly gone further than I hoped.

At the end of the day, running isn't about calories and it's way more than sweat. It is my escape, a chance to get to know myself, how I cope with and relieve stress.