The Peaceful Runner Newsletter #47
August 21, 2014

The Benefits of Running--Has Running Changed You?

Dear Friend,

Welcome to our August Newsletter on The Benefits of Running!

We hope this month's article inspires you to take a look back at your life before running and embrace any life changes or benefits of running that you may have experienced. We also hope that you feel inspired enough to share your experience with us. Please add your comments below. We would love to hear from you!

Note: As of 1 July, 2014, our website has been optimized for mobile devices. You can now more easily read all our articles when you are on the go with your mobile device.

Quote of the Month:

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.
With confidence, you have won even before you have started."

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Has Running Changed You?

Running is a incredibly unique and powerful activity. It is both mentally and physically challenging. You can choose to run alone or with a group. You can do as much or as little running as you wish.

However, if you push yourself to develop your running skills, you discover what lies within--your strengths and your weaknesses. If you continue to push your limits and face your weaknesses, you discover just how strong you really are and you begin to realize the many benefits of running.

When I look back at my life before I began running, I realize that I was a completely different person. It is amazing how one form of exercise can make such a difference and reap so many benefits.

I always actively participated in sports but running gave me so much more than fitness. It gave me a great social life at a time in my life when I really needed it, it helped me get in shape and I became so much more confident and less timid. There is something about being able to go out and run for hours that makes you feel like you can accomplish anything!

Benefits of Running

I love to explore new running routes. It's a great way to see more of your own town/city or a completely new area in an "up-close and personal" way rather than just as a passer-by in a vehicle. It takes courage to face the unknown and explore a new area. It is not something I would have done before I became a runner.

When I travel, I really make an effort to fit in my runs. It's a terrific way to see and to get familiar with a new place. Again, to go out on my own in a new place is not something I would have done before I began running. It takes determination and a bit of spunk to go for a run while on vacation in an unfamiliar area. It is so much easier to lay in bed longer or start the day by first hitting the breakfast buffet rather than the pavement!

The social benefits of running are a tremendous and unexpected bonus. My initial motivation to begin running was to get fit and lose weight. I never expected it to become a social activity. Running has been a blessing for me as I have relocated a number of times during the past four years. It is so much easier to form a new social life when you are a runner. When you join a running club, you automatically get introduced to a group of people who have the same interests as you. It is a fabulous basis for forming new friendships.

So what about you? How has running changed your life? Please share your experiences below. We would love to hear from you.

As always, keep running and stay happy and peaceful!

With love and peace,

Jackie

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