.blogging.

Bucket list #37: Start a blog. Done.

For you Sex and the City fans, if you were to meet me, you would peg me as a Charlotte from 10 feet away. Maybe. But as I write, the Carrie Bradshaw is coming out in me (just a little...). Like Carrie, my mind is a constant story, reeling with thoughts and observations about the world and people around me. I find myself, wherever I am, thinking, observing, wondering, reflecting...and often as I run, its those thoughts and stories that carry me through the miles. I find myself thinking, "I should blog about that." And so, here I am...blogging.

I read a variety of blogs--for work, for fun, for general info--but the one that is probably the most inspiring and uplifting is Molly Barker's (the founder of Girls on the Run). Her latest post, The Body...the Essence, carried me through the 3.1 miles I ran this morning during a local 5K. Molly's posts often challenge me to think about life in a slightly different way, and this post is no different. The core of its message is simply this, to answer the question: "Who am I?" And as I ran this morning, observing the array of running shirts, ponytails, and embarrassingly tiny shorts weaving in and out of the crowd around me, I began thinking (as I so often do during races) of how differently I would answer that question now than I would have even 5 years ago. 5 years ago, running had only recently entered my life, and it is something I now consider my saving grace, an integral part of my life that I honestly don't think I could live without. Running has become an identifier for me...so much so that when I am nursing an injury or am taking time off between races, I feel off kilter, like something is missing.

So, today, who do I say that I am? I am a woman. a runner. a wife. a friend. a sister. an aunt. a volunteer. a book worm. a child of God. an INFJ. I'm organized. anxious. self-conscious. kind. loyal. driven. concerned. emotional. intense.

I'm so many things...things I haven't even yet named. But I am. I simply am. No matter if I have words for those things or not, I am no less who I am. This blog, for me, is about identifying those words, discovering more of who I am, and sharing that journey of discovery with others. Running is one way I process the varied thoughts, ideas, and emotions that surround me each day. I've heard that running is a much cheaper version of therapy, and I have to say that I agree :) It's an amazing way to let go, de-stress, and embrace the many gifts God has given me.

So this is my running blog--an insight into the thoughts, ideas, stories, and observations that occupy my mind as I log the miles.

Happy trails,

bloggerontherun :)