3 Unexpected Benefits of Running
#2: Career progression
I became a runner by chance, but remain a runner by choice.
I started running my sophomore year in high school. Having recently transferred to a new school, a friend suggested I sign up for the cross country team to meet people. It seemed like a good idea even though I had no experience running. I remember thinking, “How hard can it be?”
On the first day of our pre-season camp I learned my first lesson — never underestimate running.
I couldn’t run a mile without feeling winded and immediately regretted my decision to try and meet people this way. Since it was a new school, the team was very small and there was no way to easily exit the activity. I was stuck.
As the days went by, I slowly started to get my running legs. There was moaning and complaining, but I kept showing up for practice because I was too scared to tell the coach I wanted to quit.
After a few weeks of consistent running, I found my rhythm, and this accidental athlete became a lifelong runner.
In the last thirty-five years, I have benefited from running in ways I never could have imagined as a high school runner. Not only am I healthier and stronger, but running has been instrumental in my career success. Here are a few of the…
