Dear Running,

I love you.

You’ve brought me so much joy and pain over the years since I discovered my love for you.

You’ve helped me get through some of the hardest times and lowest points in my life.

I’ve leaned on you to relieve my stress, clear my head, and subdue my stream of self-deprecating thoughts; you help me quiet the chatter of negative thinking when I’m with you.

You’ve given me grit, zeal and perseverance – life skills that have helped me achieve most of my goals, despite how off-the-wall they may have been.

You’ve forced me to endure ongoing physical and emotional pain, which, paradoxically enough, has helped me become a better person. You’ve given me the confidence to not only face but also embrace, the many heartbreaks and vissistitudes that life continues to dish out.

Running, you’ve helped me beat bouts of depression and anxiety. You’ve helped me welcome conscious feeling again when I all I felt was numbness. You’ve given me more patience, compassion, and empathy towards others.

You make me contemplate the brevity of life and understand the worthwhile places to invest my time: my relationships and the work I’m truly passionate about.

You’ve helped me build an incredible community of people all over the world – with the goal of supporting and learning from one another; to become better athletes and better overall human beings.

I never had a precocious talent for you, but hey – you taught me to be okay with sucking.

You’re always there for me and I bring you everywhere. We enjoy so many experiences together – new routes, places, countries, cultures, and people.

When life gets too overwhelming and too difficult to deal with, I lean on you. In a sense, you’re my best friend. I always prioritize you over everything else.

I’m so grateful to have you in my life. You’ve helped me accomplish goals I never thought were possible; goals that appeared frivolous or beyond my grasp. You’ve made me feel emotions I didn’t think I had, and you’ve made me stretch my limits beyond anything I thought possible.

Thank you running. I love you.

Emily x