She Runs by the Seashore

Happy Valentine’s Day! This week’s topic for the Tuesday Topics linkup hosted by Zenaida and Kookyrunner (Kim) is “What I love about running.” Well, I love a lot about running, so it’s an easy task for me to tell you about some of those things!

1. The running community. My absolute favorite thing about running is the amazing running community. I have met so many unique people through running — people who are of various ages, all kinds of professions and at different places in their running journeys. I also had the opportunity at the end of last year to meet plenty of my fellow BibRave Pros and Team BibRave in person, which was awesome. Whether it’s in person or online, runners are both a supportive and interesting group.
2. Group runs. If you’ve run with me, you know I’m a talker (unless I’m racing or doing a long interval workout)! I enjoy having company on the run.
3. Representing my groups. When I’m participating in races, I really enjoy wearing a BibRave or Eastern Shore Running Club shirt to show the team I’m representing. It’s fun when people comment on this!
4. Being recognized. It’s really fun for me when people recognize me from my blog. When I was volunteering at the Algonquin 50K on Saturday, a runner came up to the aid station where I was working and said, “She Runs by the Seashore!” This always makes me smile.
5. Blogging. Of course, I enjoy when I have a popular post, but whether a post gets a small or large number of views, I really enjoy writing down my thoughts and experiences on this blog. I’ve been a writer since I was a child — I used to create books and magazines when I was little, then I interned and worked at newspapers, and now I work in marketing and public relations — so it only makes sense that I would enjoy writing about my passion.
6. Learning. I’ve been running for more than 14 years, but there’s always more to learn. I enjoyed the opportunity to go to the Road Runners Club of America Level 1 coaching class, become a certified coach and get a thick book that I can reference at any time. I have certainly learned more about running and training, and I always continue learning as I train.
7. Helping others and being involved with their running journeys. It is a privilege to be part of others’ running journeys. I have taken on the role of helping others by leading group runs with the Eastern Shore Running Club, pacing half marathons, and most recently, becoming a Girls on the Run coach at the local YMCA. As I mentioned in my January wrap-up, it has also been fun to have been part of some of my friends’ longest runs-to-date.
8. Exploring. I really enjoy seeing new-to-me areas on foot. I’ve run marathons in seven states, and even if I’m not racing, I always enjoy exploring new trails and scenic locations.
9. Accomplishments. Whether it’s a tough speed workout, a long run or a personal record — that last one hasn’t happened in a while — it feels really good to accomplish goals or just feel good about a workout.

I actually also tackled this topic back in 2015, if you’re interested in reading my previous post. I still love all of these things about running, too!

So, what do you love about running?

See others’ posts for this linkup below:

• Zenaida Arroyo
• Kookyrunner
• Meditations in Motion
• My First 5K and More…
• Chocolaterunsjudy
• Run With No Regrets
• Just Me and My Running Shoes
• The Gaborone Runner
• Running With Attitude
• The In Between is Mine
• Confessions of a Mother Runner

Like She Runs by the Seashore on Facebook here.