16 Things Every Runner Knows is True

1. Waking up early enough to run before work to beat the heat is essential. Otherwise if you tan like me you look like a long lost Cosby sibling by July.

2. Not everyone likes to race, I love to race but there’s only one way to find out if you’re the kind of person who likes running races: sign up for one.

3. The smallest blister can ruin your whole run.

4. Colorful shoes don’t actually make you faster — but they sure as feel like they do.

5. You’re only going to want to talk about running. Better find runner friends before everyone else hates you.

6. Runger is real. Runger is vicious. Sometimes the only way to survive is to give in.

7. If you’re doing this to be model thin, you’re never going to get there. Doing this for muscles, however, is a nice side effect.

8. Nobody else cares how fast or slow you’re going.

9. Even if you’ve been running for years, every once in a while there’s just going to be a run that blows.

10. If you take a few weeks or even a few months off, getting back in the groove of things is going to feel like the toughest thing you've ever done. 

11. Winter running is possible. 

12. Where all the public restrooms are in any given vicinity. Someone can say let's run in this part of the city and I have to figure out where all the bathrooms are. 

13. How to deal with black toenails, muscle cramps, shin splints, thigh chafe, and everything else in between.

14. The magic union that is finding the right shoe for you — and the utter betrayal you feel when the manufacturer either discontinues it or changes its design.

15. How strangely, the fitter you get, the harder it is to find jeans that fit right. My legs get small and I can only find jeans in teenage stores.

16. And often, the hardest part of a run is lacing up and getting out of the door. Once you have your headphones in and your music on, everything else falls into place.

Why I Love to Run

I have always been a decent athlete. In high school, I swam competitively and loved it. 

After university, when sports became more of a hobby I stopped being physically active.

One day I realized that I didn't have to sit in a gym crowded gym with broken equipment and people I didn't really like so I took to the pavement. I can’t run the fastest or the farthest and I never will, but I love running, it frees me.

I love that it gives me a chance to be outside on a gorgeous day. After eight hours in the office sitting in a chair all day, I finally get to enjoy the sun and fresh air even if it is for less than an hour. It’s so much better than sitting and watching TV for hours until I go to bed.

I love strapping on my Nike Running watch putting my shoes on and hitting the pavement, it's therapeutic. I get to think about whatever I want. I work out solutions to my problems or just recap my day.

I love that it makes me feel good. Endorphin's are no joke. I always feel a little sad when a run is over but I do feel happier. I catch the runners high about once a week and I chase after that euphoric feeling again and again.

I love the sense of accomplishment after completing a run. Whether it’s after a lunch time jog or a marathon with people cheering you on at the finish line, you got out there and did it. Maybe it wasn't the longest or fastest or farthest you've ever run, but maybe next time will be.

I know I’ll never win a marathon, though it’s no secret I would love to, but who said you have to be the greatest at something to do it? Paint a crappy picture, sing off-key, or dance like a maniac. Don’t do it for the likes on Facebook or to be judged. Do it because it’s what you enjoy. Run because you love it, and because you’re running for yourself. Nobody else. At the end, it’ll always just be you, the road and a good pair of running shoes.

Running has Taught Me About Life

For anyone that knows me well, you know that running is my life and recently I've had a few set backs. I just found out that I have a bacterial infection in my body that I have been fighting for about 4 months and didn't know it!

I've always been the girl who loves to go out with her friends and still gets up for a run the next day, I've always been the girl with way too much energy! I've always been the girl you see on the running trail with a HUGE smile on my face as I run the miles.

These past few months I've been struggling to get my run in, I've been struggling to get through even a mile. After running for more than 30 minutes I feel tired and exhausted, I thought this was just my body telling me that I needed to push harder .. was I wrong. 

Over the past few months I've been battling the beast that is distance running, these past few months as I’ve had to push myself through miles and as I've had heartbreak over running I've learned valuable lessons about myself out on the trails, bike paths, and sidewalks something that I would never learn in a classroom – lessons that not only contribute to better and more successful running, but to everyday life as well. Here’s just a handful of the lessons I’ve learned over the past few months of pounding the pavement.

It's a great stress reliever

We all deal with stress differently, before I became a runner I would cry and yell and scream and cry some more and than fall asleep. Whatever works for you is great but this was not very effective. Then I found running. Discovering  your city can really cure a bad day. Even if you’re not a runner, this can be used for you as well: try a new coffee place, take a different route home. I promise, it’ll do wonders.

You are your strongest competitor and your most respected cheerleader

Nobody is going to tell you that you need to get out the door; you are going to be the only person that gets you out there. It doesn’t matter if you’re struggling through your longest run or you’re preparing yourself for that presentation that could possibly launch your career, your inner voice is going to be the one that yells at you to fight, to perform, to be your best. Because no matter what, other people are going to tell you it’s okay, you did your best. No one knows you better than yourself. You know if you’ve given your all, if you’ve completely given yourself to the challenge at hand. There have been times when I know I haven’t given my all but people will still tell me “Tiara, you did great!” you are the only person that knows better.

The right pair of shoes can change your life

This one’s pretty straight-forward from a running standpoint. If you don’t have the pair of running shoes that fit your feet and provide the much needed support, you’re basically begging for an injury, trust me I’ve been there! I’ve witnessed this in everyday life as well – as a woman, the right pair of shoes will carry you wherever it is you desire to go, a great example is Cinderella. It’s all about the confidence the shoe gives you. Slip into the right pair of running shoes and you can run a marathon; slip on the right pair of heels and you’re definitely going to nail that project.

Facing challenges is the most empowering experience out there.

Whether the challenge is your long run or not, take a second and think about the last time you felt truly empowered. Was it when your boyfriend told you that you looked good today? Was it when your roommate told you that the apartment needs cleaned? Was it when your friend complimented your shoes? I can guarantee it wasn’t. I would be willing to bet that the last time you felt empowered was when you overcame a challenge yourself and achieved something that you did not think possible. If it’s taking on an six mile run instead of five or finally asking your boss for a raise, only you can push yourself to face the challenges that come in the fine print of life