Born to Run

My whole family is fairly active. My brothers were big into sports growing up and I followed in their footsteps. In elementary school, I played soccer and basketball on a local recreational league and continued to play soccer through senior year of high school. I also rode horses competitively and have dabbled in many different fitness groups and activities, from yoga to CrossFit, to maintain a healthy lifestyle over the years.

Our active lifestyles may be attributed to our parents, who have always valued exercise and the numerous benefits that come with it. My mom has run 15 half and six full marathons throughout her life, and to this day, she wakes up at 5 a.m. to run anywhere from three to five miles before going to work. Similarly, my dad has run over 50 marathons across the country, from the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon to the Boston Marathon, and he’s not done yet.

I admire my parents and find this extremely impressive. I wonder how they do it, but I mostly wonder why.

While I am appreciative of having experienced an active childhood, as exercise is now a norm in my adult life, there’s one stark difference between me and my parents when it comes to physical activity.

I hate running.

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