Spiritual Running

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Many times, my runs start out with me being motivated, fade into the "what am I doing to myself?" stage, and if I'm strong enough, I can push past that and end up "having church." This has happened to me several times, and I always finish with a full, grateful heart. I think you can definitely make running a spiritual experience, you just need the right tools.

Mindset Have you ever played a sport and your coach told you to "visualize the win?" There's something to be said about this. Visualizing what it will feel like to meet your goal can keep you going.

Your state of mind is everything during any exercise, but with running especially. If I go out for a run and have already made up my mind it's going to be awful, it will be. Without a doubt. Of course all runs are not created equally, but if you can get yourself in a positive place mentally, that makes all the difference.

If I feel like I'm getting distracted or thinking negatively, I try to think of why I'm doing this, the people who will be proud of me, and how great I will feel when the run/race is over. I imagine the hugs at the finish line, the food I'll get to enjoy afterwards and the feeling of power and self-worth.

I also like to ask myself "Who is this for?" Sometimes, it's for myself, so I can have that sense of accomplishment. Other times, it's for my family, for Kyle, for the younger people around me who might look up to me. Usually, I just pick someone and make that run for them, and because I care about those people and want to make them proud, I can run a little longer and feel inspired.

Mantra A running mantra would be something you can repeat to yourself throughout your run that will keep you going and inspires you to feel strong when you're feeling weak. It might sound silly, but "I am a powerful woman" usually works for me. It must be the feminist in me.

Also, I'll sometimes get on Pinterest and look up "running quotes" and as cheesy as it sounds, that works, too. "Run with your heart." "You are beautiful and strong." "You are worth it."

Just having something you can tell yourself when you get tired or want to give up will help keep your mind positive and your heart in the run.

Music Duh.

I'm sorry, but I don't know that I'll ever be one of these people who can just run for miles without music.

Naturally, high-tempo, upbeat music helps get me pumped, but to make my run something I can feel in my heart, that takes something extra. I like songs that take me somewhere else and make me feel grateful or powerful. I have several songs that I can listen to on repeat for an hour and they still give me chills. These are the types of songs that make me run with my heart instead of my legs.

Right before Kyle and I found out we are going to be able to move, I was visiting West Virginia for some reason or another, and went for my long run while I was there. I kept thinking about how much I wanted to move home and how I love and miss everything about my home. As I was almost finished, "Country Roads" came on my playlist. I looked around Ritter Park, surrounded by trees and enveloped by mountains, and I felt like God was just trying to tell me it was going to be ok. I had been feeling so unsure of what was going to happen and if things would work out the way we hoped. "Take me home, to the place I belong..." I cried real tears. My run was no longer just training for a race or exercise, it had become a cleansing, reassuring moment in time. A few weeks later, we were planning our move.

It's not always that emotional or serious, but some songs really make my training runs something special. A few favorite songs are "Pompeii" by Bastille (this is my Finish Line song), "Love Runs Out" by One Republic and "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors. All of these inspire and help me focus on what's really important.