They say you can never step in the same river twice. Well, you can never run the same race twice. The distance may be the same but the experience is always like stepping into a new river.
If you have never trained for a run/walk race I highly recommend it. When I was younger I did not understand the lure of running for the sake of running. I ran to get faster on the soccer field or to have more endurance on the basketball court. Running just to run seemed as purposeful as knitting my own socks, sure I could do it but why? Then I got old and teams disbanded. I was stuck on the banks of the river (the Ohio to be specific). Then I found out about a local running club. Well, let me disclose the fact that I nearly took out a group of African runners warming-up for the National Half Marathon Championships in Parkersburg with my truck a few years ago. I had no idea the race was going on or even took place!!! But I did discover a large running community right in my backyard (and no one got hurt, in fact I think one of them won).
Since that fateful-near-fatal day I have been running around the area and beyond, participating in everything from 5k’s to Marathons. I have run races through the Redwoods, over bridges, with mud up to my ankles, and on days so beautiful I forgot I was actually in a competition. I have run in races with over forty thousand runners and in races against only a few dozen. Besides discovering I would probably NEVER WIN a race, I have also discovered why people keep racing. The race experience is never the same. Terrains change a race, competitors change a race, what you ate for dinner the night before can change a race (so I am told). Even if you run the same DISTANCE every time, each RACE is like stepping into a new river.
There are so many benefits of running and walking. You can decrease your risk of obesity, diabetes, and increase your energy and bone density. But my favorite benefit is the feeling of freedom and awareness I get from moving my body. When it comes to racing, I love that I get to meet new people, visit different places or see familiar sites in whole new way! You step up to the line of a new race like stepping foot into a new river. The experience is never the same. Even if I only ran 5K races for the rest of my life I could make up a new goal for everyone one. Time can be a goal, pace can be a goal, finishing a race is probably the most popular goal! Racing is about the experience, which is what stepping into the river is all about. You only have one life so go on and get out there, the water feels great!
