On the morning of July 4th, I ran in a 5k race at 7:30am. I wasn’t sure I was going to run until I was jolted by my alarm at the crack of dawn. I told myself that if I were able to wake up at 6:00am, then I’d sign up for the race at the site. I know - 6:00am sounds brutal right? But, I’m glad I woke up and pushed myself to go to the race. One of the reasons that I wanted to run this particular race was to help me get back into my running groove. I’m not sure if you all have noticed, but I haven’t been running as often as I did last year. At first, I was sure why it happened. I truly enjoy running and I particularly love running in races, but I hadn’t ran consistently since April 2012. The only thing that I could think of that changed dramatically since last year is my workload at my job. My workload pretty much doubled in April and I have been working some ridiculously long hours. As a result, my drive and motivation to go out for a run or even go to the gym for a workout had vanished. Over the past few months, I tried to run here and there; however, it wasn’t enough to get me back into a routine, until I watched some of the U.S. Olympic trials for the track and field division at the end of June 2012. Watching serious athletes battle it out for their ticket to London was just the boost that I needed to get started again. 
I had to be reminded about my love for running and really think about why I run. I wanted to share some of my reasons with you all here on my blog. Why do I run? I run because I can and I really do think that it’s fun. I know the fun part may sound so cliché, but it’s true. I also run because it’s simple and you don’t need to have any equipment to get started. Except for a good pair of running sneakers and some water in case you get thirsty, but nothing excessive. Another reason that I run is because it’s my little escape from my everyday woes. I have so much time to think about my life without being interrupted. I usually run in the evenings after work, so I’m able to recap the day, prepare for the following day and even meditate. I tend to get a lot accomplished in my head during my mini excursions.
After watching the Olympic hopefuls, I’ve been lacing up and hitting the pavement or treadmill on regular basis. I'm pretty sure that I got my running groove back. Anyways, here are my stats for the race: there were 1030 total race finishers - 540 females and 490 males. I finished the race in 31:23 minutes. Do any of you run or participate in a sport that you are passionate about? How do you all stay motivated to keep going? I’d love to hear all about it.
xoxo Natasha
