Okay, gotta be honest here. I could hear you in the background, but I was a bit too busy watching Henry, the cutie, to really hear what you were saying. lol

I run to be healthy and for my sanity. It is my time to get out there and clear my head. Some days it is relaxing and freeing but some days it is just down right hard. But no matter what, I always feel like a million bucks knowing that I got out there and did it.

BTW…Henry is a cutie pie!

Henry is such a handsome little man…it has been fun watching him grow so much through your blog!
So why I run….I run to get away from it all….to take away the stress of the day…to feel that sense of accomplishment after a long run.

Why I run is an amazing question, and I think for me it is to focus in on life. There are so many days where my brain seems to be in another world. With one run, I’m able to come back to reality. What it gives me is a sense of accomplishment, and that I am able to motivate myself to do such a wonderful and personal event throughout my day, week, month, etc.

I run because it gives me time to think through my problems or to help me clear my mind of the daily clutter. Running has always been a great stress reliever and it the perfect “me time” for mommies who need to exercise AND get a break from taking care of the kids. Henry is too cute in this video, he is not giving up on trying to eat your hair.

I think about this a lot, actually. I run for my health and to maintain my weight loss, but I also run to clear my mind, relieve stress, have “me” time, challenge myself…the list goes on and on!

A lot of people thought I was crazy for running the Chicago marathon, but for me, running is something that makes me feel confident, it’s “me” time, it’s my mental release and my time to either zone out or think and reflect. The endorphins don’t hurt either!

I run to prove that I can. When I was a teenager and in my early 20’s, I was chubby and I never thought I could run more than a mile. At some point, I decided to prove that I could and I kept proving it.

I also run to get rid of anxiety. I just feel better after (not always during!) a run.

I run to go numb. Thats an odd answer, but let me explain. I enjoy tuning everything out and just focusing on me and only me. During my runs I am not dealing with other people’s problem’s or the stress from my day. I just go numb with emotion and I feel like I just…float. Its an uplifting feeling that clears my head and centers my soul.

Remember Team Hoyt? I started running seriously 3 years ago and whenever someone ask me «why», that was my go-to answer: «Because I can!»
I ran my first marathon last September and I think for the first time, the «I can» took all it’s meaning. Since that race, my anxiety is back to an acceptable level, witch means no more insomnia, no more binge eating out of stress and no more anxiety phase where I’m the worst person to be around. I think finally -finally!- my mind has accepted that I actually can do a lot of things when I put my mind into it. Just one day at the time! So running is for me a way to enjoy the journey that life is.
Thanks for sharing a bit of Henry, he is such a cute baby and it’s fun to see you in action!

I frequently get asked this and my response is always for ME. It’s my ME time but it’s also a time for me to feel like I can do anything with hard work and determination. Like you said, I may not be the fastest and I’m not going to be winning any trophies, but I’m constantly pushing myself out of my comfort zone to see what I can do. Our bodies were meant for movement so why not?

Your baby is super cute.

Also, I’ve heard your voice in videos before, but every time it catches me off guard. I just expect you to sound different for some reason. I have no idea why!

Oh my gosh, I was cracking up the entire time! Henry was adorably distracting. I run because it’s when I can just let go. It’s my time to think and process everything that is going on in my life. I don’t know how far I will go or how long it will take me. I simply relish in the freedom and enjoy.

I run because I like being competitive with myself. I played basketball through college and loved the competitive nature of it. After college, just going to the gym and doing random workouts was not keeping me motivated. I stumbled upon a local 5k and I was hooked. I love following training plans and seeing how they affect my times in races.

I also love the running community. It makes me so happy to see so many like-minded individuals up at the crack of dawn getting ready to race! 🙂