A Love Letter to Running
By Tamika Whitenack
On Sunday, I ran my first official half marathon at Rockland Lake State Park! It was called the Hook Half Marathon and was a lovely course by the lake, through some trees, and along the Hudson River. I felt very strong and was on a runner's high for the whole day (although it was a tad bit colder/windier/grayer skies than I would have liked). The experience made me remember how important running is to me, and the many other things it touches in my life. For my happiness class, we write 20 gratitudes each week, so I think I'll format this post as gratitudes. As a side note, I highly suggest taking the time to write down a few of your own gratitudes each day–it always makes me feel rather warm and fuzzy inside.
I'm grateful for a strong, healthy, body that is physically capable to run and run fast and for a long time.
I'm grateful for my love of running and the way in which that love can bring me happiness, strength, and peace.
I'm grateful to have been running for so long in my life, and for all the people who have shared the experience of running with me.
I'm especially grateful for my daddy, who is probably at least half the reason why running is in my life.
I'm grateful for the racing experiences I had in high school and the intense mental, emotional, and physical attributes of these experiences.
I'm grateful to not being running competitively in college and for the relief of stress that this allows me.
I'm grateful to still feel like running is important to me, even though I don't race competitively.
I'm grateful to go to a school that enables me to run in half-marathons for free.
I'm grateful for the outdoors and the fresh air that contribute to the magic of running.
I'm grateful for the privilege to run as recreation, to have the extra time, resources, and safety to subject myself to physical work in the pursuit of some happy goal.
I'm grateful for my running buddies, past and present–running helps build my relationships!
I'm grateful for the amazing conversations that come from miles of running with other people.
I'm grateful for hills and their presence in my home terrain and how that has shaped me as a runner.
I'm grateful for the way water tastes extra special after you've finished running.
I'm grateful for endorphins and the runner's high, and for the lovely, almost hypnotic running rhythm that sets in after a certain number of miles.
I'm grateful for the appetite that running gives me, and for being able to fill it with yummy foods.
I'm grateful for all the difficulties running has caused me and the way they made me grow.
I'm grateful for all the other people out there who run, and the sense of community it can build.
I'm grateful for the thirteen year old girl and her parents, who crossed the finished line just a minute or so after I did-inspiring!
I'm grateful for the woman who was running with a stroller–inspiring!
I'm grateful for all the moms and grandmas running–inspiring!
I'm grateful for the massage therapist at the end of the race.
I'm grateful for my access to pilates and yoga classes, I think they are making me a much more well-rounded and healthy person.
I'm grateful for childhood hikes, because I think they thought me that finishing is always the goal and quitting is never an option.
I'm grateful for my breathe.
Okay, I suppose that's sufficient for now. 3 weeks left of classes! It's really starting to feel like the end. Time flies when you're having fun/taking 6 classes and doing lots of extracurriculars.
Here's some pics, many not related to this blog post but from our Friday farm visit!
On Sunday, I ran my first official half marathon at Rockland Lake State Park! It was called the Hook Half Marathon and was a lovely course by the lake, through some trees, and along the Hudson River. I felt very strong and was on a runner's high for the whole day (although it was a tad bit colder/windier/grayer skies than I would have liked). The experience made me remember how important running is to me, and the many other things it touches in my life. For my happiness class, we write 20 gratitudes each week, so I think I'll format this post as gratitudes. As a side note, I highly suggest taking the time to write down a few of your own gratitudes each day–it always makes me feel rather warm and fuzzy inside.
I'm grateful for a strong, healthy, body that is physically capable to run and run fast and for a long time.
I'm grateful for my love of running and the way in which that love can bring me happiness, strength, and peace.
I'm grateful to have been running for so long in my life, and for all the people who have shared the experience of running with me.
I'm especially grateful for my daddy, who is probably at least half the reason why running is in my life.
I'm grateful for the racing experiences I had in high school and the intense mental, emotional, and physical attributes of these experiences.
I'm grateful to not being running competitively in college and for the relief of stress that this allows me.
I'm grateful to still feel like running is important to me, even though I don't race competitively.
I'm grateful to go to a school that enables me to run in half-marathons for free.
I'm grateful for the outdoors and the fresh air that contribute to the magic of running.
I'm grateful for the privilege to run as recreation, to have the extra time, resources, and safety to subject myself to physical work in the pursuit of some happy goal.
I'm grateful for my running buddies, past and present–running helps build my relationships!
I'm grateful for the amazing conversations that come from miles of running with other people.
I'm grateful for hills and their presence in my home terrain and how that has shaped me as a runner.
I'm grateful for the way water tastes extra special after you've finished running.
I'm grateful for endorphins and the runner's high, and for the lovely, almost hypnotic running rhythm that sets in after a certain number of miles.
I'm grateful for the appetite that running gives me, and for being able to fill it with yummy foods.
I'm grateful for all the difficulties running has caused me and the way they made me grow.
I'm grateful for all the other people out there who run, and the sense of community it can build.
I'm grateful for the thirteen year old girl and her parents, who crossed the finished line just a minute or so after I did-inspiring!
I'm grateful for the woman who was running with a stroller–inspiring!
I'm grateful for all the moms and grandmas running–inspiring!
I'm grateful for the massage therapist at the end of the race.
I'm grateful for my access to pilates and yoga classes, I think they are making me a much more well-rounded and healthy person.
I'm grateful for childhood hikes, because I think they thought me that finishing is always the goal and quitting is never an option.
I'm grateful for my breathe.
Okay, I suppose that's sufficient for now. 3 weeks left of classes! It's really starting to feel like the end. Time flies when you're having fun/taking 6 classes and doing lots of extracurriculars.
Here's some pics, many not related to this blog post but from our Friday farm visit!
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| Moo! the farm dog |
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| Letterbox Farm |
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| bunny |
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| destined for meat :( |
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| piggy |
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| babies <3 |
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| mama rabbit and her babes |
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| the big box is a fake mom hen |
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| peeps |
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| queen of the log |
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| oINK |
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| expensive cookies in Hudson, NY |
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| post-race fare |
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| wish we could have stayed at this airbnb longer! |
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| all finished under 2 hours, yay! |
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