When I was a kid, cardio exercise was a punishment. We did it during gym class and at hockey practice when we made the coach mad. It wasn’t popular as a social activity but as a way to keep yourself in shape.
Boy did that change. Every week, countless fun runs, color runs and 5k races take place all throughout America. These days, running seems to be the annoying activity that all of your friends try and rope you into doing. “Oh, its so healthy for you!” “It’ll change your life!” “You’ve got to get a Fit Bit!”
I’ve heard it all before. And as much as I hate to say it, they’re right.
I started running cross country in my freshman year of high school at the suggestion of my mom, who kindly noted, “Kevin you’re fat. You should fix that.” Getting used to the schedule was challenging to say the least. Every day, we would run anywhere between three to seven miles in the cold Connecticut fall.
At first, I hated it with everything in me. It was exhausting and long, and we ended up right back where we started every time. The only silver lining for me was the people I got to meet. I grew close to my teammates as we all had to endure “being in shape” together, whether we liked it or not.
But the longer I stuck with it, the more I grew to love the sport. It helped me clear my head by focusing on the road in front of me. It made me disciplined, always showing up to practice ready to work until I dropped. Being able to run consistently well without coming close to death made me feel amazing, like there was nothing I couldn’t do.
Six years later, my views have changed quite a bit. I ended up as captain for varsity cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in my senior year of high school. Along with my younger brother Sean (future Bonnie), we stole the top two fastest spots on the team, always fighting to see who was faster. After graduating, my dad helped me run my first marathon in January 2015. This has marked the best time of my life, and it’s all thanks to running.
Some people run to be healthy, some run for competition, others just like being active with friends. The best thing about running is that it has something unique to give to whomever decides to give it a shot. Now I know you’ve heard this before, but you should really go for a run sometime. I guarantee it’s a habit that can stick.
Kevin Bradley is a Contributing Writer for The Bona Venture.
His email is bradlekp14@bonaventure.edu
