Run Forrest Run!!!

When I say I go running every day, people say I am crazy and they often wonder how I cannot resent it!! The sport everybody hate at school, endurance! And I hated it too!! But as soon as you are not rated for it, it turns out to be completely different…

Why did I start running?

Well actually, I didn’t wanna go running, my mother did. She thought it would be a great idea to stay in shape… And as she would not go alone she decided her daughters should run too. So here we were at our local pond… The first time, our 20 minutes run felt like being in hell. But my mother is no quitter and she became kind of our coach!! She would lie to us, for the good cause, saying we stop at the next bench and once we were there she would say:  “come one girls, let’s go a little further, to the tree over there…” Of course we could have stopped but it was challenging and soon enough we got use to it and were able to run for one full hour!

At the time, we were going 1 or 2 times a week. Then I went to London and in between the one hour bus to hide Park, my messed up brain, and the weariness it was more like once in a blue moon!!!

I really went back to it this year (August 2009) I would go running every morning on the beach for half an hour and then swim for half an hour and end my sport session with couples of sit ups and yoga.

I realized I felt good, good in my body, good about myself, and the efforts were paying off!!

So I kept the rhythm when I arrived in Poitiers, minus the swimming due to a lack of sea!! And so I went everyday if I could, between 30 and 40 minutes according to my schedule.

Why did I grow into it?

Running can appear boring, but it cost nothing, you can go running anywhere, you progress quickly and it is rewarding for the body and mind. Well according to me of course!

Did you know sport actually release endorphins into your brain which make you happy and calms you down. Exactly like chocolate, except eating chocolate never helped you get toned abs and butt… Some Canadians facilities have actually considered using sport to cure depression instead of using medication. And it works! So instead of becoming a vegetable you actually feel better in and out!

But, back to the point…

So first it makes me feel good, second it prevents me from freaking out about what I eat, and third you feel like living. Cause you always interact with people or animals around. When you‘re going to the same place for a while you start knowing and recognizing some people… As for me I always run into a bunch of fisherman and will have a real quick chat just as I run along… There are (as I call them) The Moroccans daddies… (No harm against Moroccans of course) but they play football with their kids and they’ll cheer and all…which is really supporting. Well I am not gonna describe all the people I see, but there is always something happening. Also you witness the season change, it is just an agreeable moment which I find really relaxing!

So for all those reason I really enjoy it and I became addicted to it. Sport is like a real therapy… And I believe every sport is in its own way. I think it’s important to exercise, not only to stay fit but also for your mind and soul it really enables you to get rid of the stress. For a while you stop thinking, and you just focus on your body, what you feel, the environment around you, the movement… And even if it hard sometimes or painful, when you’re done you just feel great and energized. When I am tired after work, I go running and I afterwards I feel better, I feel awake and alive!