Alas, I'm happy to be getting back into my running routine now that spring is here. Still, I wasn't always a runner. Besides my short stint on the indoor track team my sophomore year of high school, the majority of my life was spent being a hardcore soccer chick. I played soccer since I was five years old, rockin' the coed pee-wee teams in my early years, mid-New Jersey select teams during my middle years and club and high school teams in my later career.When I arrived at Boston University and felt the need to give up my interest in the competitive edge of soccer (BU has a D1 team), I found myself on intramural teams since BU does not support soccer as a club sport. Although I played coed on a number of indoor and outdoor teams and in a few different leagues, my soccer frequency wasn't enough to sustain my athletic drive. This led to my interest in - that's right - running!
I've really learned to love the sport. Besides my recent winter abandonment, I've been running an average of four to five times a week for the past three years and have really loved the results I've experienced. Even with a full college schedule, running keeps me motivated and energized and makes me feel happy and healthy. Running also helped me achieve some noteworthy philanthropic goals as well. Last October, I competed in the 2007 B.A.A. Half Marathon, raising $627 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and finishing in 1:49:36. Running 13.1 miles knowing I helped support an honorable cause was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life, making it worth all the training and preparation.
Running has become an important stable in my life, and something tells me I'll be a runner for a long time to come.What has running/exercising done to improve your life?
