5 Ways Running Can Be Spiritual

Just in time for the new year, here are 5 Ways that Running Can be Spiritual:

1. Running fosters gratitude. Running has a way of simplifying life and reminding us of our basic needs. When I relax into the steady cadence of a run, I am reminded of what a gift it is to have functioning limbs, a beating heart and clean air to breathe. I appreciate my running shoes, cushioned and treaded to provide me with the ultimate running experience. Luxury swaddling my feet. After a hot sticky run, I am grateful for the ease of which I can grab a glass of ice water, take a shower, and then relax in a temperature-regulated environment. Running reminds me that all my basic needs are met, and more.

2. Running allows us to experience God’s creation. When I run on trails, surrounded by trees, my feet on a dirt path, I feel closest to God. I have time to admire the unusual twist of a tree trunk, a blanket of tiny bluebells, or a fleet of darting deer. I’ve also encountered the shock of severed deer limbs, a snake slithering past, and an owl dropping a dead squirrel from her talons. What a gift, to experience life in all its forms, pulsating around us.

3. Running pushes our limits, which builds faith. Pushing outside of our comfort zones both affirms and strengthens our faith. When I toe the starting line of a race, I know it’s going to hurt. I anticipate this pain, however, with a belief that God will give me the strength to endure. Sometimes when we test our limits, we struggle and fail. God is there too. Like at the end of my first half-marathon, when I ended up in the medic's tent with no way to contact the friends I came with. My face, hands and feet were tingly. I lay there, terrified, as the medics ran tests. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared: Mrs. Ulisses, the mom of a former teammate of mine. She had seen me struggling and followed me to the tent. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," she said. This incredible moment of receiving help in a time of need did far more to build my faith than if I had run a perfect race that day.

Lake Geneva, Switzerland

4. Running helps us see and understand more of the world. I love to run when I travel. Even if for only twenty minutes, a run through a new city or town deepens my understanding of the place. The culture. The people. It’s like peeking behind the curtain at a musical theater. I can feel my perspective shift, assimilating the new information with every foot strike. I discovered a community smoothie station in Asheville, NC, where you sit on a stationary bike and pedal to work the blender. I ran up a trail that went over top of a large waterfall in Canada, giving me a completely different perspective than when I had looked at it from down below. I experienced the struggle of having a language barrier when I got lost running in Switzerland. Running helped me experience each place in a new way, casting a different shade of perspective, a bonus track of memories.

5. Running reminds us to surrender our worries. My thoughts come with me, when I run. I chew on them; ruminate; reflect. My worries rise to the surface like cream at the top of non-homogenized milk. At the end of a run, I'm usually fed up with them enough to skim them off and forget about them or surrender them to God/the Universe. I sometimes need reminders to do this, or foolishly believe that I can manage everything on my own. But this mental clutter only slows us down, and why carry our burdens another mile? As I lay on the pavement after a run, sweat dripping off my skin, I feel emotionally lighter. This calm after the storm makes everything worth it, so go on and lay there a while, soak it in. 

XOXO,

Maria