Can you Smile while you run?

If you had asked me this a few years ago I'd have told you NO!! When I started running it was hard and painful and I will not lie and say I loved it! I was proud that I was doing it and would often smile when I was done. After my first half I smiled a lot, but I usually didn't find myself smiling during a run.

After I had Sugar and hit the pavement again I found myself smiling more as I ran. My first run after delivery I smiled a LOT! It felt so good to be back out doing something that I realized I loved while being pregnant. It was during that time I came to see that I really loved running. I missed the challenge, missed the sweat, missed the solitude that was positive, missed the races, my running family, missed it all. While I was pregnant I dreamed I was running often, and became aware of just how much I enjoyed being out there.

Nowadays I find myself smiling a lot when I run, as I hit milestones and as I accomplish goals! I smiled a lot during my half in March, even through my marathon, then last week as I did speed work! I can honestly say now that I love running.

Some runs still suck and I don't smile at all and some days I choose not to run, which I think is good. Sometimes we have to quit the routine and do it just for the love of the sport! So try it, try to smile some when you run because you are out there hitting the pavement or the hamster wheel, you're moving and accomplishing something with every good run with every bad run. It doesn't matter how fast or how far or how often, just run!

Run like you stole something!! :)