I have always loved to run. Running has been hugely impactful in my life, even after my high school athletic career has ended. Running, for me, is my form of meditation. When I am running, I let go of everything holding me back in life - my thoughts, my doubts, my insecurities, and my struggles. It is my escape, and the running high I get is my choice of drug.

I hate seeing people dread going running, or who act as if their run is just another thing to check off on the long list of things to get done that day. Now, I'm not saying every day I wake up and look forward to running. Heck no, some days I just want to lay in bed and get some extra sleep. And while I do like getting a good sweat in for my daily fitness, running is so much more than just my daily workout. After my run, my head feels clear, my mind feels awake. I personally like to go on morning runs, so that I can start my day off by doing something for me first. And not every day is going to be the best run of my life. Some days my runs are short, and my legs feel like dead weights. But other days, I feel like I could run forever, and I am racing through the neighborhood streets.

On the days when I feel like I would rather do anything else than go running, or even workout for that matter, something that I am reminded of is that I am so incredibly fortunate to have the option to work out. Some individuals don't get to decide whether or not they want to wake up and go on a run - people are sick, people are confined to wheelchairs, people are injured, and so on. So, to have the option to go running, when you are able to, and do not, to me, is waste. Or maybe for you it isn't running that gets you going, it could be swimming, biking, yoga, lifting, anything that pushes you to be better and gets you going. Because we are just one injury, one accident, one diagnosis, away from losing our ability to do what we love. I know I can't run forever, and especially when I am temporarily injured I am itching to get back to running. Because it is so much more than just a workout, I am a better person when I have taken time out of my busy day to make myself better, both physically and mentally. Your mentality and outlook on life is what drives you, and when we deliberately do things to make our mindsets more positive and engaged, we make our lives and the lives around us better.

Be thankful for what you are given the ability to do. Remember that all we take for granted in life can be taken away in a split second. I am grateful for the ability to run, the opportunity to move my body, and the freedom to find peace when I have nothing more than the road ahead of me to travel.