Living my truth. Finding my stride, why I run.

Guest Post by Alison Kramer.

I run.

I run because I can. I love the feeling of my body collapsing when it’s over.

I run because I do it all alone.

When I was little I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I took medication and my mom always reminded me to be careful and not do too much. I had a lot of aches and pains. I never played sports, even though I wanted to. I had sporty friends, worked at a sports store and chose to study Kinesiology in University. But I never played.

Time passed. And then something changed in my body when I became pregnant with my first child. I don’t know if it was a chemical change from pregnancy, or that for the first time I gave a shit about the things I put in my body. I don’t know if it was the new confidence I had in myself as I finally, after years of hating my body, at last began to appreciate what it could do.

But my pains went away. And they never came back.

I run because it is a challenge. It hurts, and I like it that way. When running stops hurting, that is when I know I need to push more. I let out anger and frustration when I run. Which is not easy of comfortable for me. I hate running the entire time it is happening. I listen to angry music. I sing out loud.

I run because who the hell does my body think it is, telling me what I can and cannot do.

I run because it is so hard for me. It is easy to strut, hard to run.

I run because a lot of people shape how I walk this life, but only I decide how far I run. I have tried running with other people, but it doesn’t work for me. I care too much about them – how they are doing, interacting with them, how I look or sound, how “well” I do. Running is about me.

When I was younger, I thought that true love would save me and tell me I didn’t have to run. But I’ve learned better.

True love just lets me run.

I run because I have survived abuse and wasted too many of my best days high, but I feel my body when I run. I own it. I keep going because I had three children without taking so much as a Tylenol and nothing has ever been harder than finding my stride.

I run because with the music blaring in my ear, the world going by, my heart pounding and my mind clear and strong – I am the most myself.

And that is my truth.

About Alison Kramer: Alison is a mother to three little ones and owner of Nummies Lingerie. Hot yoga addict, runner and writer. Loving her days with a blackberry in one hand and lego in the other. You can find her on twitter and learn more about her business here (www.nummies.com)