Ready, Ready, Ready to Run!

   I've been missing running. I miss listening to my ipod and not thinking about anything else and  just running until I'm too tired to run anymore. Running used to be a huge stress release for me. When I started running track in high school it was because I wanted to hang out with my friends more, and they all were on the track team. I became a sprinter because they were. I soon realized sprinting was not for me, and that I did not enjoy it. I learned that a long run at a steady pace was a great stress release  for me when I was going through some difficult things at that time. I ended up running cross country in the fall and became an 800m, mile, and 2 mile runner for the track team. I wasn't one of the fastest people, but I tried very hard and I enjoyed it. It gave me a goal to work toward and something positive to focus on. I did it for myself.

   Since high school I haven't run competitively at all, but during college and living near Boston I would go for runs on my own as a stress release. I would go through times when I didn't run as much now and then.Then I would get to the point where I was so stressed out  that I would NEED to run.  I always felt so much better afterward. This is how I'm feeling right now. I've been afraid to go running here because running is something I like to do alone, and running alone is something I've been hesitant to do in Botswana. I'm at the point where I feel safe enough running around my home stay neighborhood if I stick to the main road and run when it is light out. I plan on running when I get to my site anyway,  and I don't think I can wait until then. I'm busting out the running shoes again. It is going to hurt because it has been a while, but it will be great!