I have chosen to explore the topic of Long Distance Running for my Free Inquiry Project. Running has been a passion of mine since I was a young elementary school student. My journey as a runner began when I was 8 years old where I was introduced to the sport of athletics as a participant in school cross-country and track. If I reflect upon my feelings about running back then, while I definitely enjoyed it, I wouldn’t have imagined that it would grow to become such an influential part of my life today.

Running is a big part of my identity and within my mind I can easily make a connection between my running and everything else I do in my life. For example, I love math, physics, and statistics, and during/after my runs I love to consider the more data based/analytical aspects of my runs, such as pace and run cadence, and compare the statistics with my other runs. My run time is also when I consider reflective themes, and hence a lot of my creative thinking for my other passions, such as listening to music, writing and learning foreign languages, occurs during the tens of minutes I spend running each day. I think of my week in terms of my different training runs each day, and it is the driving force that motivates me to get through challenging weeks, such as when the schoolwork load is high.

While running is my passion and the source of greatest joy and fulfillment in my daily life, I recognize that running is not for everyone. It is an acquired taste activity, and it takes determination, dedication, motivation, and commitment to discover the joy and the satisfaction that a consistent running routine can provide. My free inquiry project will outline the elements that inspire and motivate me to run everyday, from variety in training to mindset, and I hope to encourage others to find joy in running through my blog posts!