Running--a sport for all

I like to go running. One thing that I have come to appreciate about the sport is how accessible it is to almost everyone. All you really need is a pair of athletic shoes (or I guess you could go barefoot if you are tough or on the beach) and you can usually just step out the door and go. You don't have to be experienced or have lessons to be able to do it. It's not like tennis where if you can't hit the ball, the game is over, or like basketball where at minimum you need a court and a hoop mounted up high.

It is also a sport for people of all shapes and sizes. I ran my first marathon 5 years ago and was shocked by the range of people running the 26.2 mile race. Some were elite competitors, but most were doing it as some sort of personal challenge: to raise money for a charity, in memory of a loved one, or just to push beyond their own comfort zone. I made friends during the race. I met a man from my hometown at mile 5, and a woman who had just had her 5th child at mile 20. Perfect strangers would cheer me on as they passed me going up a hill. I was too excited to leave the race after I finished--I just stood at the finish line cheering everyone else on. There does not have to be clear winners and losers in this sport.

I will not deny that the exercise can be painful at times. Sometimes I give in to the snooze button and skip my morning run. But, when I finally get out there on the trail, road, or path, I am motivated by all of the runners around me and am glad I am one of them.