Why do I run?

There are numerous reasons and they have changed over time.

It started as something fun to as a kid.
Then it became an easy way to maintain cardio and fitness to allow me to do other sports. I say easy in the sense I just needed some trainers and to head outside. Then it became useful for my mental health as well as my physical wellbeing 

For many years it was the cheap, easy option of keeping fit and exploring the area I lived in.
It also become useful, being able to get places quickly. Running for help, running to the shops before they close or keeping up with kids as they learn to ride bikes.

It then became a habit to get myself outside, I am a very anxious person and without a reason do not normally go out, however I found running as a good enough reason to leave the house. It gave me a routine to follow and regular exercise. It allowed me to escape my thoughts and focus on the now. It gave my body and mind a kick to activate it from a lazy state.

Then when I moved to a new area it was the only thing I felt confident enough doing. Again it allowed me to explore the area around me and eventually meet some like minded runners. These people then pushed me outside my comfort zone of what I thought was possible for me to do. It also introduced me to places previously unknown to me through the running community. It has also shown me there are many different aspects and variations to running other than just plodding along the paths. Trail running, night running, training drills, long and short distances.

It is never my aim to be the fastest or run the furthest, the only person I compete against is myself. Sure I sign up for the occasional race but this is to add a time frame or specific thing to aim for and maintain my standard of fitness.  I usually pick the fun or obscure races, somewhere nice or a bit different. 

I still run for fun but it also to give myself purpose and routine. It gives me something to look forward to during the week and forces me outside. I usually feel better after a run than I did before however convincing my brain of this can usually take a while to get myself out of the door.

So why do I run?
It is something I can do on my own, to my own schedule but also with others it a set time. It can be as short or as long as I want. Mainly because I can do it straight from my front door, it keeps me fit and active and allows me to escape all the noise in my head. It forces me to leave the house and gives me a purpose for a brief time during