I believe in the joy of running. I enjoy the simple pleasures of exercise, but
not all kinds. While I detest having anything to do with weights or treadmills, I
highly enjoy pushing myself mile after mile. With the wind sweeping back my
hair, I feel invincible and uncatchable. As the miles add up, the stress that I am
burdened with every day slips away to nothingness, returning only when I stop.
I have discovered that running helps me to concentrate on my homework
and studies, with no ill side effects. What can I say? I am addicted to running.
The triumphs and thrills that I obtain fill me with a sense of calm and peace that
is so rare in my chaotic life.
During my junior year of high school, my life has been filled with stress.
Tests, projects, and papers fill my weeks, causing me to lose sleep and serenity.
Every time I run down San Vincente or around the Brentwood Country Club I
lose myself in the repetitious movement of my feet. With my dog by my side, our
movements mirroring one another, I feel as if I could run forever.
In my earlier years I thought that two miles a week was impressive and a
triumph, but now I am only satisfied with seven or eight miles a week. It makes
me wonder what weekly mileage I shall reach in years to come. The feeling I get
after running is nearly indescribable. Whether it is the endorphins or the sense
of accomplishment I never feel as alive as I do when I run. Even when I have
scarcely enough time for my studies, I make the time to run.
As I try to make sense out of the chaos that is my everyday life, I draw
strength and energy from the memory of running mile after mile. Running is
more than just exercise; it is my escape route from the occasionally horrible
realities of life. I believe in the joy of running, for though it keeps me healthy and
fit, it enables me to fly.