I am a brand new runner, as of a year ago! Quite literally, I hated running before I tried it. I never liked how exhausted I felt when I ran, even as a girl of 15, running the 600 yard for the physical fitness assessment in high school. Why? Why does everyone feel that way when they first run? Why is it worth pushing through that agony? What I have found after a year of running, usually 5 times a week, is that your body and your mind get used to running. It isn’t as horrific when you find your rhythm with it. You will slowly get fit, you will like how it makes you feel and will enjoy knowing that you are contributing to your own longevity and quality of life. We won’t stay young forever and it is important to take on an active mindset while we are still able, so that our lives are wisely and joyfully lived to their fullest. I now love sweating, feeling my blood pumping through my body, the feeling of well being that comes after a workout, feeling alive and the mental and emotional clarity I have after a prayer-run.