Running for the Sake of Running

You know those people who, upon telling them you’ve run a 5k, 8k, 10k, half marathon, or even full marathon race, respond with something along the lines of “I could never do that. I hate running” ?

I used to be one of those people and sometimes, I still think I am.

I have always been an athletic person; I played sports when I was a kid, took fitness classes while at school, and even became a fitness instructor late last year. For many years, I was a reluctant runner, meaning I only ever ran when I had to. I had no problem running up and down a soccer field for hours upon end chasing a ball, or even bouncing around a dance studio for an hour as a perky, tiny blonde women shouted for me to ‘repeat my knee!’ during a step class. But running for the sake of running? I had about as much interest in that as I did baseball (note: that, also, has changed).

It took me leaving home and going up north to work for a summer to giving running as a sport a fair shot. There was no gym in the town I lived at, no step or Zumba classes, so it really was just me, my shoes, and the roads and trails around me. So one day, tired of spending my nights at home, I put on my shoes and went for a run. While I’d love to say I ran around the small town 3 times and found myself during the 2 hour run, I’d be lying. Truth be told, that run sucked. I think I made it to the end of my street (about 500m) before I had to stop and catch my breath. I was out for a total of 20 minutes that first day. And while it sucked and it was difficult, I put my shoes on and went back out the next day. And the next. And the next. Next thing I knew, I was running everyday (until I learned the concept of the sacred ‘rest day’) and actually looking forward to it. I’ve been running recreationally since then, running my first race (a half marathon) on June 2nd earlier this year. Since that race, I have also run the 5k Color Me Rad and most recently, the 8k Dirty Dash with Run Waterloo.

Want to do a colour run, but don't want to travel far? Check out In Running Colour: Small, local, and with U. https://t.co/vY0orA9zM7

— Kristen Leal (@kristenleal) July 22, 2013

I wish I could say I love running as a sport, but I don’t. I am not a competitive runner; I don’t focus on splits or paces, altitude changes or hills even though I know I should. I just run. It’s simple, and for me, that’s why I love it. If you’re like me and you love to run just for the sake of running, I’d encourage you to check out RunWaterloo’s newest race coming up in late August, In Running Colour. I’ve done a colour run before and it is without a doubt the most fun I’ve ever had running before, including the time I got chased by a family of really angry squirrels after I stomped all over their winter stash of acorns while on a run up north. The race is not timed, you end up looking like a rainbow, and you’ll laugh more than you ever thought possible while running. It’s a not-so-serious race for runners who love to run, fast, slow, and medium paced alike. You can take it easy and see how much colour you can get on yourself through the 4k course (note: it will be A LOT). Or, you can try and beat a PB and see how clean you can stay by the time you hit the finish line (note: you will not stay that way, we promise you that). There’s also a 1km fun run with equal colour opportunity.

I’m putting my colour run experience to good use and volunteering with the Waterloo Running Series to help this race be as great as it can be. There are lots of surprises and fun new additions in store, and its been a great process so far. I hope to see you on race day!