More than a few people I know love the idea of putting on a pair of shoes and going for a long run just for the fun of it. They love to release their stress, anger, and worry. Running is a form of relief that gives people the ability to clear their minds and come back from a run with a new attitude. Another factor involved with running is the community that is linked together by it. This community gives people the possibility to race against one another, but also to go on leisure runs and enjoy the time together.

The running community provides a foundation of hard work for every runner because none of us would be where we are today without the hard work that went into getting us to this moment. We push ourselves every single training session to be just a little bit faster, have our running form tweaked to a more comfortable position, and even letting our breathing pattern during a run get accustomed to needing lots of oxygen during the duration of the run. Running is probably one of the hardest activities in this world.

I remember starting to run right before middle school with my father who introduced me to the actual act of running. He opened the world to me that I would have never known about had I not stepped up and actually tried it. From that very moment, I started falling in love with the idea of running. I loved the thrill of just throwing on my shoes and hitting the road not knowing where it was going to take me.

I loved the idea of just going out for a long period of time and having no worries about anything else, but the sound of my feet hitting the pavement with every step. Running has given me the ability to push myself to new limits and overcoming them to do even better. I have learned how strong you need to be to endure such an activity as running because of how much it tests your body. More so, running tests your mentality.

Anyone who runs will tell you the same thing when it comes to the question: what does it take to become a runner? Yes, we all say hard work, persistence, and time, but there is so much more to running than just the physical aspect. To answer the question many people ask us, it comes down to a simple ratio. Running is 80% mentality and 20% physicality.

You always want to be in the best physical condition in order to be able to run long distances or short distances with fast times, as well as, the endurance to be able to handle the strenuous workouts that go into making a runner better. However, the mentality that goes into running is the most important part because no matter how physically in-shape you are, your attitude is what will determine how you perform on a run. For example, if you go into a race thinking you're going to die of exhaustion in the middle of your time is going to be slow, then you will not do well.

The reason for why this will be the outcome is because even before you started the race, you have already planted a seed of doubt. However, you can always build yourself up by knowing you worked hard to get to that race and will do well because you want to. Yes, throughout the race it will be difficult and every runner can tell you that, but if you push past the pain and achieve a goal of finishing the race. That, is what truly counts when it comes to running.

For lots of people including myself, running is a form of life that we will always be connected to no matter what because it gives us a reason to just feel free. The feeling of freedom to choose where we go, how far we go, how much time we take, and so much more. The freedom to push ourselves to the very limit our bodies can take and overcome that limit to grow in the sport. There is so many pros that out way the cons of running and I love the welcoming factor the entire running community has towards new members. No matter what your background, you are always welcomed into this family of people in the world.

I AM a runner and proud of it, and other runners would agree whole-heartedly. We all share a passion for running and the world it opens up for us. These are the reasons I think runnning is life.