Yet we persisted. Soon things got better. Often, things got much better.
All runners discover their own best reasons for running, and there are as many reasons as there are runners. To each, his own. The surprise is this: After a few miles, weeks, or years, you"ll discover reasons you never imagined when you began. The path includes magic and mysteries that are only revealed as you travel down it.
Of course, some of you might not have begun yet. To you, we say this: Today is a great day to start. You''ll never find a better one. We won't tell you that running will be easy -that would be a lie. But we guarantee the rewards will be worth the effort.
As proof, I am showing you 9 runners who tell why and how they got started.
Running's Better Than Prozac
I started running while I was in nursing school, raising two young boys, and dealing with the end of a very bad marriage. I decided that for the boys and me to survive, I needed to get strong, mentally and physically. I had done aerobics and strength training before, but I most admired the people in my gym who ran for miles on a treadmill. I started with 1 mile and worked my way up. I could not have found a better stress reliever if I had been given a lifetime supply of Prozac.
- Sarah McDonough, 40, RN, Lakeland, FL
It Helps You Lose Weight
At the time of my 40th birthday, I was 75 pounds overweight, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My doctor told me to change my lifestyle or I was looking at Type-II diabetes. I had just lost an uncle because of his unhealthy habits, so I joined Weight Watchers and bought a treadmill. I started walking 3 days a week, then jogging. Eventually, I worked up the nerve to enter my first race, a 15-K. Believe it or not, I finished third in my age group, which gave me the motivation to continue. That and the fact I lost those 75 pounds.
- Bonnie Long, 41, Machine Operator, Warsaw, IN
It's More Fun Than Smoking
When I moved from Austin, TX, to Boston to work for an investment bank, my office was at Copley Square, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I have to admit that I didn't even know how long a marathon was. And I made fun of the people who were training for it. But after watching the marathon from my office window, I made a pact to run a marathon someday. A week later, I registered for the Chicago Marathon. I began running a few nights, but I was a smoker and I couldn't go any farther than a half-mile. Still, I kept at it, and found that the more I ran, the better I felt, and the less I wanted to smoke. One evening late in my training, I walked to a nearby convenience store and bought a pack of cigarettes. Back home, I threw the pack away. I did my marathon, and I'm already planning another. In the end, running is more fun than smoking.
- Dave Russ, 24, Accountant, Boston
You Feel Young Again
My sister and I ran cross-country in highschool, but life soon got too busy: college, work, marriage. When my sister came to visit me once, we went running together, and it was like we were girls again. I enjoyed the time spent with her, and started adding more miles to my workouts. Then I found a woman in my aerobics class who ran on weekends. We became training partners. It has been a year of accomplishment, pride, and self-awareness.
- Karen Kuykendall, 39, Publishing Manager, Maple Valley, WA
It Gets You Places Faster
Like most New Yorkers, I was always in a rush. I never ran, but walked fast to and from work each day. One day, to save time, I started running to make the lights. If I hit the lights right, I'd sometimes run a block or two at a time. This gradually shortened my commute, so I could make earlier trains. One morning, I hit all the lights and suddenly realized I was a runner.
- Lisa Garrone, 36, Advertising Executive, New York City
You'll Love the Way Your Butt Looks
"In my small-town high school, I was the only girl on the track team, and the bus rides to meets with the guys were fantastic. But after graduation, I only ran sporadically. Last spring I thought about running a local 8-K, but decided to skip it, because the distance was to far. Then, 20 weeks before last fall's Chicago Marathon, I signed up. I don't know why. I never even watched a marathon before. I just pulled out my credit card, and registered. I'm still amazed that I did it. I love those yelling fans. I love telling friends I ran a marathon. I love telling people I ran 8 miles before coming to work this morning. I love the way I feel when I'm running. And I love the way my butt looks!- Julie Koehler, 33, Public Defender, Chicago
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