Stephanie M

Through running, I found athleticism, but I've realized that, more important, I found strength. My body is lean, toned, and healthy. I can feel the power in my muscles, heart, and lungs. I have more energy and endurance for all things, and this is true, mentally as well. Running penetrates. It drives beneath muscles & bones to our core strength. Running is an act of will. It requires mental as we as physical toughness. The more we do it, the stronger we become, the easier running is. Still no matter how far I run on a given day, I know I have accomplished something that is difficult. This strength permeates the rest of my life. I feel good about myself, and I take that to my school and relationships. I feel more capable, more independent. I take more risks because I believe that I can accomplish thing I once thought impossible. Running isn't only about performance and improvement and accomplishment, however. This I have learned also. Running is not simply a means to an end. It is an end to itself. When we become too caught in care taking, which seems to be our wont as wives, mothers and daughters, or when we are too full with the pressures of meeting the certain demands and the needs of others, we can find a time and place in running that is our own. And through running, we find a connection to nature. Running has been all of these things for me, depending on my needs and desires. These days, I run most often simply because it feels good. And that is finally what running is all about - it feels good while you are doing it and it leave you with new energy when you're done.

Running offers us renewal each time we head out the door. It strips us down to our centers. It is sun, sweat, rain, breeze against our skin. It is blood pumping through our arteries, air filling our lungs, and the rhythmic, fluid contracting of muscle as we move our bodies over each. Through it, we become whole again. I don't know what running will be for me in the future. I don't know how many more races I will run or sprints I will finish or if I will even compete again, but running will always be there for time alone or time with friends. I will always run simply because it feels good and it opens the passage to my strength.