Friday Five: Why I Race

what i AM doing is sitting at my desk at work, thanking the good Lord Friday has finally arrived. geesh, this has felt like a long week.

what i WISH i was doing was enjoying above coconut beverage in above location, preferably in a place where “Aloha” is the common way to greet people. anyonewithme?

safe to say, i am feeling like i need a vacation. not that that’s really anything new.

so, it’s come to my attention that other healthy living/running obsessed bloggers out there in the world participate in some sort of Friday Five linkup each week, hosted by 3 blogger chicks from the DC area. i had no idea this existed and have been rockin’ my own lil Friday Five for a while, but i like this week’s topic so i think i’ll go ahead and join in. thanks ladies!

this week’s topic: Five Reasons to Run/Race

ONE: Structure/goal setting. i’m one of those who can easily fly by the seat of her pants throughout life —  i do really well with spontaneity and change and last-minute plans and generally don’t stress out about things easily — but i find that some added structure can be a really good thing for me, and often necessary in helping me stay focused and hit some goals. i get excited to find a race to train for and focus on, and i generally only run longer races (although i’m thinking about changing this up), so it’s nice to push myself.

TWO: Doing hard things. i like a good challenge, and races are a great way to add some physical challenges and tough stuff to your life. i remember the gradual build up: the first time i tackled a 10K, and then thinking i’d never be able to run a half marathon, and then tucking a bunch of those under my belt before forcing myself to wrestle with a full. every step is a new opportunity to push myself to do something i’d previously thought of as impossible, and it has taught me a lot about my ability to overcome seemingly formidable obstacles and revel in a very real sense of personal accomplishment. hard things shape us and change us and instill confidence within us, and remind us that we are capable of so much more than we ever realized.

THREE: Being part of something bigger than just my solo running. i always run alone, so it’s nice to do races and join the larger community of runners and feel the camaraderie and collective excitement and energy. passion is a very individual thing at its essence — we would do what we love anyway, because we can’t help ourselves — but it’s nice to enjoy it in community as well and interact with others who understand your love for something.

FOUR: See different places. okay, since i don’t have the disposable income to jet off to different fun cities around the country/world at whim and run races wheresoever i please, i’m not able to fulfill this desire on a grand scale (as of yet — who knows what the future will hold). but i still try to sign up for races in different cities or boroughs close to me: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, New Jersey, upstate NY, and i’ve even run the Disney Princess Half in Orlando. i love the idea of traveling to races all over and hope to be able to do more of that.

FIVE: Paraphernalia. aka, room decorations. i believe my room is what you’d call “Boho living,” in that nothing matches and there’s no method to the decorative madness (hi, aqua oceany bedspread and pink-and-black curtains and green couch and totally random dressers in my room), and my closet door of bibs and hanging medals add some nice pizazz to the decor. at least this is what i tell myself. and i’m the one whose opinion matters here, annnnd i like it.

new goal: start signing up for more 5 and 10Ks to get to this point in my bib wall.

So, why do you race/run?
What’s the coolest place you’ve traveled to for a race?

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