Medals, Highs, and Friendships

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't actually like running. I like three things that result from running: medals, runner's highs, and new friendships. I'd say I like the health benefits, too, but since I started running, I've gained weight and have spent plenty of money on sports medicine doctors, physical therapy, x-rays, and chiropractors. Yep, definitely scratching that from the list of things I like.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my finisher's medals. One friend even nicknamed me "Medal Goddess". My finisher's medals are displayed proudly in my house. I show them to anyone who will let me. I never tire explaining which race I ran to get this medal or that medal or why a certain medal is my favorite. My racing medals are the most important items I own. I know that sounds silly knowing that they probably only cost a few dollars and everyone who finishes gets one, but they truly mean the world to me. They prove to me every time I look at them that I accomplished something that I thought could never happen. (And, in the event that my house ever catches on fire, I plan on getting the dog and then the medals on the way out! That's how much these medals mean to me.)

Before I ever earned a medal, the mystifying runner's high is what hooked me. I only planned on doing one half-marathon in my life. After that, my plan was to go back to swimming, spinning, and classes at the gym. Then, it happened. The runner's high took a hold of me and wouldn't let go. Every run longer than seven miles gave me a runner's high that first year. I couldn't wait to get on the road! The second year in my running life, I decided to do a full marathon. Longer miles meant more runner's highs for me. Running was easy. What did I do with that great feeling? I decided to sign up for five more races that year. And, then I learned about the devilish runner's high the hard way. The more my body became used to running, the fewer times I experienced that magnificent high. Today, in my running life, that marvelous high is nothing more than a memory. Though elusive, I continue to chase after it determined to find it again.

The final reason I continue to run is the friendships that are formed on the road. Almost all of my close friends are runners. There is something unexplainable about the bonds that can be formed during training and racing. Simply put, running with someone just makes running more enjoyable. Though running may not always be easy, I couldn't imagine not seeing my running friends at weekly runs, training programs, and races.