How running saved my life

After a long run this morning, I casually mentioned to my running buddy that I really think if I hadn't started running at the age of 45, I may not have made it to see my 50th (which is just a little over 3 weeks away!) She chuckled and even I had to stop and think if that was really a true statement but, truth be told, running has saved my life.

Not to mention my sanity, my health, my marriage, my mood, my faith, ...Uh, you get the idea.

The thing about running is that it affects your entire life, encompassing everything you do and everyone you come in contact with. You may not even realize it at the time but, running plays a key role in every decision you make. Wether that decision is to finish off the entire bottle of wine or change your perspective on a situation, running usually helps making that decision a little easier.

I have often joked that running is my therapy. But, truly that is no laughing matter. I cringe to think what I would have spent these past 5 years in psycho-analytical counseling sessions if it had not been for running. I can't even imagine how much weight I would have put on over the course of 5 years if it hadn't been for running. Or how high my already high cholesterol would be. And God knows, my almost 25 year marriage would not be what it is today if I did not have running in my life.

Even though my zest for running has slowed down a bit since I ran my first half marathon back in 2011, the benefits are still ever-present in my life. If I was to conduct a scientific study and chart my daily moods as well as my daily runs, I know that I would find a direct correlation between the days that I am on top of the world to the days that I was down in the dumps simply by wether I ran or not.  Believe me, my co-workers can tell from my first "hello" wether I ran that morning or not. Recently, I saw a T-shirt that said "I run because pinching people is socially unacceptable". Case in point.

Running is the cherry on top of the sundae, it's the rainbow in the storm and it's the secret to my happiness. To stop running would be to stop breathing. Sure, the rate at which the race bibs go up on my garage wall may slow down, I will not stop lacin' it up and hittin' the road until they carry me off!

"You don't stop running because you get old.

You get old because you stop running."

I have no intentions of getting old so, for now, I've got no choice but to keep on running!!