Why I Run...

When the big 3-0 was looming (several years gone by now), I decided that I would make a promise to myself to run a 5 kilometer race every year until I turn 60. So far, so good. I have indeed run a race every year, and some years more than one.

In fact, I have just completed my fourth run of the 2012 season. I kicked off my running in the spring with the PIM (Prague International Marathon) 4.2k Family Fun Run. In the early summer I did the Tesco Run for Life charity race. And in the past week the culmination of my hard work this summer was to complete the Nike We Run Prague 10k last Saturday and the Adidas Woman's 5k today.

It was great. I enjoyed each run, learning something about me with every step. In the fun runs, the key is to relax and enjoy the funny characters along the way. The homeless man cheering on the sidelines, or the man with a giant puppet yelling out ventriloquist encouragement, or small children waiting on the sidelines to high-five passing runners. In the 10k, my goal was to finish, finish strong, and finish without having to walk...Mission was accomplished and I was impressed that my body that had been very ill with a stomach flu just days before was trained well and strong enough to bounce back.

But probably my favorite race will always be that Adidas 5k Night Run. It is the perfect length, the perfect time, the perfect crowd, the perfect location. Dusk in the winding ancient streets, throngs of crowds bellowing praise and encouragement. It is a rush every time I do it.

And that is why I run. It is a Rush. I love that we inhabit fallible bodies that we can push to our personal limits. That we can push these bodies to develop strength and endurance. That my brain can overrule my body. The saying "Mind over Matter" is so true in running. If I want it, I can reach it. That knowledge is a Rush.