It's a big deal...

This week has been hard for me. I've woken up early every morning this week hoping to run, and the weather only allowed me to run 2 of those mornings. And I had that crappy 3 mile afternoon run.

I am looking forward to my 17/18 mile run tomorrow morning, though.

Anyway, I was flipping through the latest Runners World this morning and a quote stuck out to me... It was something to the effect of... All runners can't become olympic hopefuls, but all runners can dream and run a marathon. And of course, being the emotional person I am... I teared up.

So, I think its time for another round of....

This is why I run, 2nd edition (subtitled: Let's all get misty-eyed).

I run for my body. I run because I know that heart disease, diabetes, and cancer run in my family.

I run for my mind. Nothing can clear the slate better than an hour run. Seriously, there is nothing more therapeutic than a run. And by starting the morning off with runs, I feel like it puts me in a better frame of mind for the entire day.

I run for my self esteem. I have never felt better about myself in my entire life. Running has made me confident and sure of myself. Not just because of my body and being in shape, but because of the accomplishments that it's giving me. I've ran for 4 hours and 47 minutes and 49 seconds, i have ran in rain, snow, wind, 100 degree heat. It's the pride that I feel about that. It seriously makes me feel like I can do anything that I set my mind to. It's the fact that I set goals and accomplish them.

I run for the greater good. Admittedly, I don't donate a lot of money to charities. I'm not proud of that fact, but I don't. But, a lot of the races that I sign up for, the proceeds go to charities.

I run for my future. Life is only going to get more complicated. Hopefully one day, I'll have a husband and kids and I want to be a fit, healthy person for my family. I want to be able to set a good example. I want my kids to go to a race and see me cross the finish line.

I run for the sticker.

I know we joke a lot about the 26.2 stickers on our cars. And I tell people all the time that it's the only reason I ran my first marathon. But, honestly, that sticker does mean a lot to me. I see it everytime I get into my car and it reminds me of all these things. Of why I run and of the accomplishments that I've had from running.

Running for me is a big deal. It's not just about exercise or t-shirts.