It’s been 2 minutes and you’re struggling to catch your breath. You still can’t believe you woke up at 8:30 in the morning on a weekend, in 45-degree weather. But when are you ever going to be nineteen again, waking up at 8:30 in the morning to run? Never.
You run when you don’t want to get caught. You run towards someone you love. You might even run because you’re forced to. Some, like me, however, might just run for fun.
Running and I have had a complicated relationship throughout the years. At first, I disliked it with passion. I remember those soccer tryouts where we were told to run more than two miles at a specific pace, under a specific time. Freshman year Miranda, in high school, was never even able to run a mile before that. I thought I would start to like running after some time passed during this era of my life, but I was wrong.
Whether it was for practice or a game, I just could not help but think how much I would struggle. These feelings lingered throughout all my four years of playing high school soccer. The funny thing is, I would play soccer inside and outside of school, and I still could not enjoy the running part of it. I was even a midfielder; whose responsibility was to run back and forth the field. How silly life is because as soon as I stopped playing soccer, I found myself enjoying running.
Like I said before, running was never my favorite. It always seemed to be a constant struggle between my mind and body. Whether it was reminding me that I couldn’t fulfill a certain criterion, or how I looked running, it was something that I disliked. However, I’m not sure if it was the social pressures I didn’t have to face like I did when I played soccer, or because COVID gave me no other choice but to enjoy nature.
The fact of the matter was, I started to like running.
I started my running journey with one of the few people I’m close to, my sister. We began running one mile three times a week during COVID-19, and then we completely stopped as society was getting a little bit “normal.” However, I ended up missing the nice distraction running offered, so I decided to pick it up all over again in the summer of 2022. From worrying about my first day at Iona to all the academic pressures I’d be facing in just a short few months, I felt like I needed a hobby I could depend on when times get tough; let’s face it, life is tough as it is.
Running has offered me a proper and healthy outlet. Whether I’m stressing out about certain exams, assignments, or even personal situations, I turn to running to help relieve that stress.
A lot of people don’t see running as a fun thing, which is understandable. However, I think everyone should try it at least once during their time here, on Earth. Like, why not? I don’t think it can cause any harm, but of course, running does involve crossing streets sometimes, so please avoid getting hit by a car. Aside from that though, I feel like people will really find this hobby enjoyable. You’re able to disconnect from society for a bit, and enjoy the time by yourself, without anyone judging you.
I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t rely on anyone for your happiness. As my Tia says, “Haz lo que te hace feliz” meaning, “Do what makes you happy.” Running, just for fun, makes me happy. I’m not going to say I hope running makes you happy because I don’t know you. I will say, though, to find a hobby that makes you enjoy life, even when you’re struggling.
Life can be tough sometimes, but it should never prevent you from finding true happiness.
