What Does Running Mean To Me

Running The last time I did not run for consecutive days, was during Middle School. Running has been a very powerful tool for me, and the joy it brings is something I carry. As a person who has an unhealthy amount of anxiety in my life, running has been an outlet for me. Whenever I feel anxious or stressed out, I run. There are two ways running brings me relief; the first is it is an immediate distraction from whatever is bothering me. In addition, running also gives me a “runner's high” after I run. While this may seem unimaginable, it is actually very real because the pleasure of finishing a workout has few parallels. After I run, for the rest of the day, my mood is elevated. For example, this past summer was very stressful, but because of running I was able to get through it. Later in the summer I was working from nine in the morning, to five in the afternoon, at a job I did not enjoy. Furthermore, I also had to plan my Eagle Scout Project with people that barely knew how to work their phones. I had offered to design and create a path behind the Presbyterian Church, but this was easier said than done. As if these two things weren’t stressful

This goes back to the fact that running is a distraction from the things that cause me stress. Whenever I run, all my attention shifts towards myself. I think about moving my legs, soreness, and how fast I am going. This allows for myself to have a very clear mind, and I have come to realize I make my best decisions while running. For instance, when choosing my classes last year, I decided to take AP Economics despite having an already rigorous curriculum. However, looking back on it, this was the right decision because I am doing well in the class and business is something that interests me in the future. If I had made this decision while stressed out, I would have probably made the safer, and less ambitious choice to not take AP