Ready, Ready, Ready, Ready...Ready to Run

I love to run.

This is me after a 4 mile run yesterday.

Oh yeah, it was pouring rain.

I was splashed by 2 cars and honked at 4 times (not because I'm hot, but probably because they thought I was crazy).

It was EXHILARATING!

I started running in high school, but never took it seriously then.

It wasn't until after I joined the Marine Corps that I seriously fell in love with running.

I went through a lot of personal hardships my first few years in the Marine Corps, and running was my outlet.

I went through some pretty low points in my life, and running was my saving grace.

When I was hitting that pavement, nothing else in life mattered.

The natural high I got from running was also something that got me addicted to it.

My very first deployment was to Iwakuni, Japan. 

I was at a rocky place in life, in a terrible relationship, and I wasn't right with God.

Going to a foreign country with nothing familiar to me with new people was scary.

So I ran.

I ran every. single. day.

I ran twice a day.

I ran to work.

I ran back to my barracks from work.

I ran when it was 106 degrees with 98% humidity.

I ran 6-10 miles a day on average.

When I missed a day of running, I got depressed, and ended up getting my aggression out on some random cardio machine at the gym. 

This cycle continued on into my deployment to Iraq.

I found myself using every little bit of free time I had to run in the desert.

If you've ever been to the middle east in the middle of summer, you know it gets HOT...like 140 degrees hot.

It did a number on my knees.

It wasn't until my last deployment to Iraq and after recruiting duty (5 years later) that I finally decided to get my knee checked out because the pain was now starting to become unbearable.

I was in a lot worse shape than I had imagined, and my knee injuries had started to affect my hips as well.

So here I am, 3 years since I finally got my knee looked at.

I ended up having surgery.

I was medically (and honorably) discharged just FOUR short months shy of my actual EAS (End of Active Service) after 10 long years in the Corps.

I guess I'm classified as a disabled vet, but I don't consider myself that.

There are TONS of veterans out there who are REALLY disabled.

And while my days of running 6-10 miles a day are long gone, I have figured out how to hit the pavement knowing the limits of my body.

I'm not running 6:30 minute miles anymore, and I'm not obsessed with it like I used to be.

I've found other things to stay in shape (like Crossfit and Spin).

What's the point of this post?

Simple.

Those days when I was running endlessly was because I was running away from my problems.

I was running away from my faith.

I was running away from God.

It became an addiction and a high...an unhealthy one that ultimately injured me.

It wasn't until I reconnected with God again that I realized that I was using running as a crutch and not as a form of enjoyment.

Today, I can happily say that I run because I really enjoy it.

I love looking at nature while I run, and it puts me in awe that God created all of it.

What are you using as a crutch?