Things that I love about running, feeling the love

Yesterday I did a little bit on things that fray my nerves while running. I thought to be fair there are quite a few things that I love about running. Here is a short list:

1. Post Run Glow - The feeling of general well being and euphoria I feel post run is enough to keep me going. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I am done and the post run endorphins are a great buzz.

2. Freedom (1) - When I am running on a slight downhill with a bit of a tail wind I feel flat out free. My speed picks up and I find a zone that keeps me coming back every time. I love that, for me there is nothing better than this pure feeling. Awesome.

3. Freedom (2) - For an attorney my job is not that stressful, but it has its moments. When I couple that with a turbulent personal life, I need a release. When I run I can forget all the other stuff for a while. This is a good freedom but not as good as the one above.

4. Finding the Top - I have struggled with hills since I started running, I am sure that I am not alone. It has been a challenge. That said, when I reach the top of the hill I get a nice feeling of accomplishment. It is nice, not overwhelming but nice.

5. Discovering Speed - I like to finish my runs with a couple of sprints. I think I do this for no other reason that I like it. I like to run for speed on occasion because it feels good. When you are burning the trail a bit, even if it isn't fast for others, makes you feel good even if you can't keep it up for long.

6. Race Day - Race day is a justification for all the training I have done previously. I may not always have a great race but the experience has always been a good one. It is nice to share this with a bunch of like minded people all out there for their own reasons. It is nice. You can put it all together and have a bunch of strangers cheer for you along the way.

7. Progress - Being a bit of an organizer in my personality, it is nice to be able to participate in a sport where my progress can be so easily evaluated. I am faster or not, I can run further or I can't. There are some nebulous things but for the most part, I can gauge my progress pretty readily. The anal part of me likes that.

8. New Gear - I like to buy myself some stuff now and then. Being a runner helps me decide what type of stuff I want to have. So when it is time for a little reward for whatever reason, running stuff has fit the bill as of late. Heck, we all like a reward now and then.

9. Blogging Friends - Although this is not true for all runners, it is for me. I like the networking aspect of the blog. I like that we all encourage each other and offer our own experience and learn from others. I think I have become a better runner faster because of this. Thanks to all that have commented.

Well that's my list.