*LAST UPDATED JUNE 3RD, 2018*
BY COACH HERBERT PLUMMER
TEN REASONS TO RUN ON GLOBAL RUNNING DAY
Take the pledge to run. On June 6, 2018 join the rest of the world for a run. Take the pledge by clicking below.
9. Value yourself. As our lives get more and more busy, self-care can be one of the first things to slide. Going for a run means you care enough about yourself to do something highly rewarding. It means you value who you are today and who you can be tomorrow. It means you’re worth it.
10. Connect with nature. Maybe that park you’ve walked past dozens of times is actually calling your name. Or that trail in the forest, or the one down by the river. That road with the little house at the end that always has its light on at dusk. When you run into nature, you can see and feel and smell in a whole new way. You’ll find, to your amazement, that nature was always there, waiting for you.
7. Remember what it feels like to be young.
Everyone has had the experience of running around as a toddler. You also probably raced your next-door neighbor or best friend to the end of the block. Either way, running is something that comes out of us naturally as children, and brings intense joy. Anyone who has kids of their own knows this to be true. So reconnect with the child inside you, who is still looking to experience unbridled joy.
8. Enjoy freedom.
Our calendars get full and we have deadlines to meet and responsibilities to fulfill. A run is a chance to detach from the constraints of life and any burdens we might be carrying. Choose a road you’ve never run before, and see where it takes you. Let your feet do the thinking. Feel the air against your body. Let go. That’s freedom.
[1] Leff, Vickie. Endurance Magazine. "Running and Your Mental Health: A Perfect Combination." 2013.
5. Connect with your body. A run will make you aware of your body in a more immediate and meaningful way. When you become aware of your breathing, heartbeat, lungs, legs and arms, it’s a reminder that you are a living, breathing organism. You are alive and awake. Pretty amazing, huh?
6. Bond with a friend. There are lots of things you can do with a friend or significant other: watch a TV show, eat a meal, go for a walk, play video games. But the bond shared during a run, whether slow enough where you can have a conversation, or fast enough to be a workout, is special. That electric charge happening internally will be shared externally. You’ll feel it, and I guarantee when you finish you’ll give each other a high-five.
1. Clear your mind. Life is stressful. Our plates get full. Whether they’re positive or negative, thoughts accumulate in our minds like dishes in the sink, and any excess prevents us from living consciously, from a clear-minded space. Whether you’re ecstatic, down in the dumps, or somewhere in between, running releases excess mental energy, and your perspective is always a little bit different at the end of a run than at the start. And some people have their best ideas spontaneously while running.
3. Practice commitment. Running doesn’t require much, but it does require a thoughtful decision and commitment. Once you’ve laced up your shoes and hit the road or trail, you’re in it. There’s no going back now, at least not for a mile or two. Practicing this commitment to yourself becomes a very powerful force of habit.
4. Improve your health. The benefits of running for your health are plentiful: improved metabolism, heart and lung strength, mental sharpness. [1]. The list goes on. Even on a cellular level running improves your health (especially with longer runs), so get out there and see what you can do.
2. Be a part of the running community. You might meet some similar-paced runners while out there, which could be the start of a wonderful friendship. Even if you go it alone with headphones, you’re still a part of the community; you might inspire someone driving by in a car, whose life will change just by seeing you sweat it out.
References
Global Running Day is a day for people around the world to celebrate the joy of running. So far over 100,000 people have pledged to run on June 6, 2018. Here are ten reasons why you should join them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Coach Herbert Plummer
Coach Plummer has guided both sprinters and distance runners in their training. He runs competitively for the Central Park Track Club and trains year-round for road races, indoor and outdoor track, and cross-country. He is also a USA Track and Field Level 1 certified coach.
- 'This Is What It's Like to Live Under a Running Ban' - In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many governments have cracked down on the world's most elemental sport. Outside Magazine.
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