‘Tis the season for giving thanks! With all of the stress and spending that comes with the holidays, it can be easy to forget what they are actually about. During the holiday season, we should spend time with friends and family, eat good food, and show appreciation for the things we are thankful for. Runners have got a lot to be thankful for, so we thought we’d help jumpstart your list with 7 Things Runners Are Thankful For.
New Pairs of Shoes
There’s nothing that can brighten up a day, or a run, like new shoes. When you lace up a pair for the first time you can feel every bit of the science that went into making them. It’s like the engineers from Hoka or Brooks (or your shoe brand) are pushing you forward with every step. If you’ve gotten new shoes this year you definitely have something to be thankful for. (Multiply thanks by # of shoes)
Signing up For Races
Who wouldn’t be thankful for the opportunity to show off the results of their training? Weeks and months of hard work, all for one day to give it everything you have. They also come with the added bonus of seeing friends and members of your running community, and probably a new t-shirt too!
Gaining and Maintaining Discipline
Running gives us a lot, including the discipline to accomplish tasks that aren’t easy. Finding the discipline to follow any running plan, especially for a long-distance race, is an achievement. This year runners can be thankful for the discipline they have gained through numerous easy runs, speed workouts, and long runs.
Making New Friends
When you need to clear your head a good solo run is perfect, but for your other runs grab a partner and attack the miles together. Better yet, join a run club and meet someone new that shares your love of the sport. Runners are grateful for the running partners they have as well as the new friends the sport has given them. Be sure to share this article with your running buddies!
Staying in Shape
Be thankful you’ve found a way to stay in shape and that you actually like! Your health is essential and being able to work towards and maintain a healthy body is absolutely something to be thankful for. Creating healthy habits can increase not only your quality of life but also extend your years. Be thankful for the health that comes from practicing the sport you love!
Getting to Push Limits
Running gives us the opportunity to push past what we thought was possible, which in turn helps us dream bigger. The only limits we have are those that we set for ourselves; but, running is a great way to break through those limits and set yourself free. If you continue to push your training in hopes of big results in the future, then we think you’ve got something to be thankful for.
A Great Sport To Love
Of course, we had to save the best for last, and it is pretty obvious… runners should be thankful for the ability to run. Beyond the PRs, new shoes, and anything else, just being able to put one foot in front of the other and move is something to be thankful for. Running is a great sport, it will challenge you, help you create healthy habits, and can also foster lifelong friendships. Just being able to run is quite a lot to be thankful for!
It’s the season of giving thanks and now that you’ve seen our list of things runners are thankful for, we challenge you to make your own. If you do, be sure to share it with us on social media by tagging @runcharlotte_ on Instagram and RunCharlotte on Facebook. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!