"Let go your heart; let go your head, and feel it now." These are the words I sang along with David Gray on my playlist this morning. I touched my heart, and I touched my head, and I pictured the pain, grief, and fear I have been feeling float away into air I left in my wake as I ran to the finish in my ten-mile run in the sun this morning.
Had you told me a year ago that I would be running ten miles in twenty degree weather in order to experience catharsis, had you told me that I would have willingly awakened early on a Sunday morning in order to do this, had you told me that the tears I shed were of joy, not sorrow. . . Well, I would have sarcastically laughed, poured another drink, and asked you if a bear would be chasing me when I did this. I wouldn't have believed you because I didn't believe in myself. Running can help. Running changed my life for the better. Run with me; run away from your troubles, and you may find one day that you are not running away from a problem, but running to a solution.
I did.
Touching, no? This was from 2012, and I've been running away from trouble ever since. My runs have taken me through 6 marathons, a trail ultra-relay, 3 Burning River relays, and countless half marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and I don't even know what other distances. Running away from Trouble has led me to making lots of new friends.
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| Trail Sisters 2018 Photo Credit: Steve Pierce |
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| Mother Runners 2016 Photo Credit: Marta Pacur |
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| Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors 2018 Photo Credit: Mary Sutter (?) |
It has led me to feats of strength that I never would have imagined.
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| I never thought I would run a marathon, let alone 6! |
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| Wondering why the heck I decided to run the night leg at Burning River |
And it has led me to being a Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador.
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| I'm up front because I am more important than the others. I am. |
Peeps, I am one of the lucky runners who get the "runner's high," and I want you to benefit from this while I am still in a good mood.
Here is how you can profit from my good mood. Do you want to run any of the races in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon series? (Choose from the 1 Mile Fun Run, 5K, 8K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon.) Here is how you may get lucky:
1. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @itibrout. Each day I will post an opportunity to put your name in the hat for a drawing.
2. Respond in the comments to this question: What do you run away from, or what do you run toward? (The English teacher in me is cringing right now at finishing two independent clauses with prepositions.)
On April 4, I will randomly pick a winner from all comments on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and this blog.
Don't want to wait? You can register right now using my code, SI2019, for 10% off registration for any race.
What are you waiting for? If you are like me, trouble could be stalking you as you read this post! Run! Run! Run!
No matter what you run toward or away from, I hope you Run Happy, Peeps!
Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @itibrout!
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