Lucy Brooks, photographer
I’m here to tell you just how much and why I love running, and why you should too. I started running in middle school, and I’ve probably been running for about seven years now. I, like many of you, hated running when I started. In fact, my mom was the one who forced me into it in the first place.
The first time I ever felt the “runner’s high” was going into my junior year of high school. It felt like I was struck with this all-consuming motivation that pushed me to become the best I could be and the fastest I could be. I started placing in races. I started winning races. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. That’s just one of the things I enjoyed about running.
As I’ve gotten older, running has taught me so much about who I am and so many life lessons. It isn’t just “running is good for you.” That is very true, but it isn’t that simple. It is so good for you in many different ways.
Running shows you just how much you’re capable of, more than you could have ever imagined. Running teaches you that the most important time to persevere is when you want to quit. It teaches you to push through pain and become the strongest version of yourself, physically and mentally.
As crazy as it sounds, running helps you relax and let loose. It’s truly an incredible feeling when you’re feeling upset or stressed to go for a run and let your emotions fuel you. This isn’t only my opinion, as it’s scientifically proven that running reduces symptoms of anxiety as effectively as medicine does for some people, improves brain function and memory, helps you think more clearly, strengthens your immune system, improves your sleep quality, I could go on.
To me, the most incredible thing about running is the community that comes with it. Running brings people together on a whole new level. I don’t even know how to explain it. I guess you could call it trauma bonding.
In all seriousness, though, the people you connect with through running are friends you will keep for a lifetime. Even people you just met are so welcoming and will encourage you through it all.
As soon as I came here to Berry, I immediately had a community within my cross-country team. We help strengthen one another and constantly help build each other up, all while doing the thing we love most together.
So, don’t think just because you aren’t “fast” or “good” at running that you shouldn’t do it, or that you’ll be judged. There is no such thing as a bad runner. The running community is about the kindest one you’ll find yourself in. Give it a shot.