Context

I grew up playing field sports. I always saw running as a punishment for poor practice or a bad game. It was never something I did, willingly. I was always confused by people who would go for long runs for fun. It wasn’t until I graduated high school and no longer had a mandatory practice to attend that I got into running. 

Finding Familiarity In A New Place

College is a time of change. Learning to share a space with a stranger is always something to navigate as a freshman. Your only “private” space was your bed. I knew I needed a time and a place that could be all mine. I just needed to be alone sometimes. And that’s where running came in. I discovered the neighborhood behind my dorm was a place that reminded me of home. There were big lawns with trees and people walking their dogs. And it seemed virtually untouched by the stereotypical college neighborhood scene. I knew this needed to be the place I went when I needed to be alone. And it did. I would put my airpods in and just go. Every run looked different. I spent a lot of time exploring new streets and burrows. I got familiar with the area very fast. It almost felt like the running became second, and it was about the peace I found while exploring by myself. 

Filling Time In A New Way

This feeling didn’t go away after my freshman year. It stayed with me my sophomore year when I moved into my sorority house. I remember trying to chase that familiar feeling at times when I couldn’t be around people anymore. Running became a way to stay active and to support my mental health. Which is something I would never have thought I’d say. 

Finding People Who Felt the Same Way

A surprise to me was that this feeling I discovered was, in fact, not invented by me. Many other people did exactly as I was doing with running. It acted like an escape from the routine of everyday life. I found girls living in my house who ran for fun. We began sharing running routes, mileage and running clothes. These later would become the same girls I finished my first half marathon with later that year. 

I didn’t know the impact running would have on me until I was struggling. And who knows, it might help you too. 

Here is the link to my friends and I’s favorite running shoes, and here’s the link to our favorite trail to run in Eugene.