Can I talk to you about something?-----a runner's dilemma

                 What's hardest about being in loooooove with all things to do with running is the sheer inability to just break out and talk about running with....well, most people....it's pretty torturous holding in the desire to just hear myself and others talking about my most favorite subject. Sadly, one can't just naturally break into conversation about running and have it sound seamless or NORMAL.......most people hear the word 'running' and they go on directly to tell you about how the sport has messed up their knees or about how they use to do track.....many, many decades ago. When the word "knees" come into the same conversation as the topic of "running" you know the conversation is going straight to an undesirable direction. 

                     Lately, I have been feeding my need to run-cialize by directly going into the Facebook page called Women's Running Network and just immersing myself in the many, many questions and comments that have all to do about running and that are constantly being refreshed....WRN is a site with questions and conversations, pictures and memes about paces, routes, sneakers, gear, chafing, races, etc; it's quite fun. But you know what? every once in a while it would just be nice to converse, face-to-face, with a human being about running...unfortunately, I do not like running with others, rendering that  perfect golden opportunity null. (Truth is, I would rather stick a needle in my eye than run with others. )I would not trade my alone, peaceful, before-sunrise runs for anything. I already hate small talk on its own, also, every run I've ever had with others has felt just like that,  like a forced, long and torturous exercise in small talk after small talk after small talk, no thanks!

                 I guess this is where this blog comes in. Simply seeing that others are reading what I share in these pages and clicking on from countries all over the world makes me feel a sense of connection with all runners and the larger running community. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. 

Stories of other runners inspire us to reach for our highest goals

                 One thing that keeps me hooked on running is the inspiration I am gaining from reading and hearing about all these amazing people that have beat the odds and come back triumphant in one form or another. I have heard about runners who have beat obesity, cancer, near-death illnesses, depression to come back winning. Every new running blog I run across tells of this same journey of triumph over adversity, pain and what seemed like insurmountable odds. The more you hear about these amazing human beings, the more you realize that you too could be one of them. That is the lure of running for me, the promise of reaching invincibility, painlessness and surpassing my most desired and distant goals.....yeap, little ol' me....

             For the past few months I have been doing little else in my free time but reading and hearing all about these amazing people in running. Their stories have filled me with hope, love for humanity, love for the human body and it's potential. Juxtaposed to that, on television, we are being constantly fed with stories of murderers, killers and even on what they label 'kids' shows' the characters are often petty, picky, annoying, sarcastic and contemptuous at best; these are not very good qualities to  immerse ourselves in, less our children. 

              I invite you to seek out your own heroes and how in learning about them you are transformed by their journey. Who inspired you to start running, who or what inspired you to keep running?