A desire is something that you crave for or something that brings satisfaction to you. What is it that you desire? Is it a sport, food, or a person? Maybe even a feeling, or perhaps a certain social status. What I found that I desire most is running.

Since the third grade and up until last year I was engaged in playing basketball. It was everything to me. If I did anything, it was to benefit me in basketball. My life was forever changed last May when I started to run. I loved it from the get-go. Everyone on the cross country team was so welcoming and fun. There were not any judgments, or dirty looks, it was all just laughter and optimistic air. In the summer, most of the girls would have cereal parties at a park. They were so much fun and we all got closer that way. Everyday that I came home, I had a new story to tell and more cereal to buy. Also, we would pig out on cereal. This would never happen with the girls on the basketball team, most of them were way too worried about staying skinny and not eating a lot. But with the cross country girls, it was total opposite, at least at first anyways. This made me feel super comfortable and I feel I fit in. Running has always been an oxymoron for me. It is constantly challenging yet very relaxing in a sort of sense.

When I run, all I can hear is my feet gently pushing off the hard pavement, getting faster and faster. And for an instance, I feel untouchable, like nothing can stop me now. When I’m running, nothing else matters. All running consists of is you, your mind and your body. You have to tell yourself that you can hurt and rise above that. Running is tough, especially the first three weeks of first starting to run. But once you step up and get bold enough not to stop running, then you are a runner. To be a runner, you have to be dedicated, focused, persistent and finally disciplined. Running with the cross country team reminds me of a pack of wolves. We watch our for each other and call things that are ahead of the pack that could potentially hurt someone. I love the way we laugh and tell stories throughout all of the runs. Everything in cross country was filled with positive and enlightening air that just wrapped around and snuggled you in tight. I have never worked so hard in my life at anything, as I do in running. I wanted to start a new leaf and actually become great at something.

For me and many other runners, running is a healthy way to release stress. It could be seen as like an addictive drug in a few ways. Feeling the sweat and heat off your very own body can be a feeling of satisfaction and reassurance that you can push your body past the pain. Also, running is addictive to you mind because you hunger for it to release unwanted stress. Your body wants to discharge of access energy by burning it off while running. Running is so untainted and pure. There is no way to cheat in running. It’s either you run, do the workouts and take care of yourself or you basically suck. This makes me think back to basketball and how skillful you had to be. It didn’t really matter if you worked out and practiced everyday, it didn’t make the difference. It was who you were, who you knew and how skilled you were.

Running can bring people together and form friendships that are stronger than a rock. My friends are so amazing and we would all do anything for one another. That is how just running in general has forever changed my life.