Why do we run?

It's been almost a year since I first began running. When I first started, I didn't have any desire to do it, couldn't understand why people loved it, and thought for sure I'd give it up in less than a week. Then, in an effort to get some inspiration, I went online to google for some running articles and found the huge and amazing world of running/health bloggers. I read page after page after page of amazing people and their stories and was incredibly motivated by it all. (That's when I made the decision to start blogging, sign up for a half marathon, and give myself a chance to love running.) There were so many bloggers that I looked up to and whose advice I followed.

One of those runners and bloggers was Healthy Ashley. Ashley is the kind of person I always wanted to be. She is a bad-ass runner, strong both physically and in her character, and is an all-around inspiration to me. Recently Ashley was in a really bad biking accident and has been in the hospital struggling to sit up on her own for a few minutes and hobble a few painful steps every day. Despite her intense physical pain and emotional trauma, she's been sharing her experience on her blog and trying to keep a positive attitude to keep working hard so that she can one day be an athlete again and inspire others along the way.

Ashley after her fall

Champ hopes she has a speedy recovery

Tuesday I wrote a post about that morning's great run that made me "fall in love with running all over again". In order to support Ashley through her recovery, several of her friends in the blogging community have come up with ideas to help her make it through the road ahead. One of the things set up was Miles for Ashley, where they are collecting miles run dedicated to Ashley. I ran that run for Ashley and kept her in my thought the entire time. Now that running has become a part of my life and a part of who I am, I can't imagine having that taken away for me (even if only for a while). The run got me thinking, "Why do I run?". In the beginning it was pretty much because I didn't want to spend my life in a hospital (asthma story here), but it soon became about so much more. I run for many reasons; some are superficial and trivial while others are much more powerful.

Why do I run?

• I run to breathe.
• I run because it makes me feel strong and confident.
• I run because I love me some bling!
• I run because runners are the nicest people on earth and I love being around them.
• I run because it makes me feel like I can do anything.
• I run because "it's kind of fun to do the impossible"(Walt Disney).
• I run because there is no better feeling of accomplishment than crossing a finish line.
• I run because I want to be healthy.
• I run because I like to support local causes through races. 
• I run because I can. 

Hearing why other people, including Ashley, love running so much is what really made me start. I think it's important to share our own reasons with others so that we can inspire each other, and others who haven't made that first step to run. So leave a comment and tell me,

 WHY DO YOU RUN? 

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PS: If you'd like to help Ashley in her journey please follow her blog, donate here, or dedicate your miles here. She didn't ask me to write any of this, I just feel that it's important to support each other when we need it.