Running is one of the most basic and simple of ways to workout, except it is almost universally hated. So many people hate running because it is difficult, but my response to that is, keep trying.
I have been running since I was very young. The first sport that I played was soccer. As I got older I moved into sports like football and wrestling, but it wasn't until high school that I found my true calling in sport. In High school is when I first began running for the track team. I didn't like it very much at first, but nevertheless I persisted.
I had always known that I was fast with good endurance but being in track helped me hone my skills and truly understand what I was good at. I was able to run different distances and I figured out that my best distance was the 400 meter dash.
Once I found the distance that I was comfortable with running, I trained relentlessly, then I started winning. The feeling of crossing the finish line first became my main focus. It was this same feeling that motivated me to to train harder, and in turn win even more.
It was when I was training my hardest that I noticed the beauty in running. I realized that I could be in complete control of the result. The beauty in running lies in its difficulty and simplicity. It is all up to the runner. You get out what you put in. It is the simple beauty in relentless effort followed by real tangible results. That is why people run.
(Credit: Getty Images/Hemera)
