Last week, I was contemplating WHY I run. And the very obvious answer to me – was 
because I am a runner. while this may sound like circular logic, I don’t see it as any different that “I think there for I am.” Only its “I run, therefore I am a runner” or “I am a runner, therefore I run.” It made perfect sense when it occurred to me. For the large chunk of my life since highschool when I didn’t run – inside, I still thought of myself as a runner. I don’t mean it in the sense of Al Bundy as a football star – relieving “past glories.” Just that running has been a part of me since I found it in highschool, even when I wasn’t actively a runner. We would do our 1.5 mile runs in the Navy – and it was something I NEVER worried about – as I was a runner (even though I was only running 2 times a year at my semi-annual physical fitness test.)
The other interesting thing, is in regards to the blogs I read. Within the last week, after I realized this – The same exact phrase came up several times in other blogs. Then yesterday on “ACurvyGirlRunning” Storme stated “But I’m going to keep going. Stopping really isn’t an option. I’m a runner. It’s just what I do.” I figured even I can take a cosmic hint every now and then. Obviously when I thought “I am a runner…” and followed it up with “I should write a blog post about that” – I should have followed through.
- When you run, you get to escape the world and be free.
Running is my escape. After a stressful day, the miles make the problems go away – even if just for a little while. My problems at that point consist of – “Can I run up that hill” or “Have I run to far from home to make it back” – both issues that are within my power to solve!
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
Sometimes the simplest statements need no justification. I think being a runner is like that. What more do we have to say? It’s like saying you breathe….well duh of course you do if you want to continue living. We run. It’s what we do. It’s funny because when I came to that realization, nothing else felt more natural. Running. 🙂