Her Guest Post: Running through College

So tonight I decided to try something new. I asked my amazing friend Erika to write a guest post for me. You may remember her from the Oktoberfest 5k. She is a senior at Tufts studying Community Health and American Studies. Erika and I have been friends since we were 17 -years-old and as long as I have known her, she has been an incredible runner with amazing discipline.

Just a couple of kids

When we met at a summer program at BU in high school I would just be waking to go to class and she would be coming back from a 5 mile run.  She has kept up with her running all throughout college. Even with her intense course load and responsibilities, she never misses a run. And recently she finished another half  marathon in 1 hr 38 minutes! I always wondered how she did it. And then I decided to do a crazy thing; I asked her.

 So enjoy the post from Erika on how she stays motivated to keep running even through the stress of college!
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Around 8:30 am every morning I trudge up the stairs of my classless college residence covered in sweat, dust, and whatever leaves, twigs or small creatures I accidentally kicked off the sidewalk and onto my sticky, post run legs. I feel great - my endorphins are pumping, I have about five minutes left of warmth in my body before it remembers that it’s in New England, and I know that I spent the past 45 minutes doing something great for my physical and mental wellbeing. Not even my housemates’ looks of disgust or the fact that I still have 16 hours left in my day can bring me down. Until I emerge from the shower and have scrubbed off (most of) Somerville’s street grime from my body, I am invincible.

After half marathon!

To me, that feeling alone makes everything worth it. Waking up at 7 am every morning to strap on a pair of running shoes and hit the pavement is certainly no picnic on its own, let me tell you. I’m not on the track team, I don’t have a running buddy, and none of my friends are exceptionally sporty. In fact, most of them think I’m crazy for even attempting to greet the pavement before my first cup of coffee. But I make sure to dig up motivation from somewhere inside my sleep deprived brain to do it anyway, because no matter how many excuses I will make to NOT run, the biggest reason TO run is always there: I really, truly, love it. And no amount of sleep drool on my chin or alcohol from the night before should keep me from doing what I love.

…Which is why I make sure to find a way to include a run in my daily routine. My classes start early and my daily responsibilities start earlier, which is why it’s so important to begin my day with a run so that I don’t have the “too busy” excuse to deter me from doing it later on in the day. “BUT I GO TO BED SO LATE! There’s no way I could do that!” You might say. So go to bed earlier. I can’t remember the last thing I did anything productive after 12 am. You’re going to have to be doing the same thing after you graduate anyway, so you might as well get a head start on it now and attempt to start your evolution of becoming a real person. Go for an early morning run, I promise it will feel good.* 

Erika and I at the 5k

Time also seems to be a big issue with the would-be runners of the college world. Between classes, homework, and real work (not to mention attempting to have a social life) it’s incredibly difficult to find enough “me time” to dedicate to exercise. But honestly? You can find the time if you try hard enough. If you’re 100% convinced that mornings are not your thing, (you’re fooling yourself, but also) squeeze a quick run in between studying/classes. We all take 10-minute study breaks here and there; use yours for sprint intervals rather than watching small chunks of Glee. Save time and go to class sweaty - some people may look at you and treat you like you’re an uruk-hai, but the others will respect you for your physical activity bad assery. Before I learned the wonders of 7 am, I used to go to class in my exercise clothes so that I would feel obligated to go running afterwards. It worked, too - changing out of clean running gear just feels wrong.


If it’s still an issue, you can try turning running into a social outlet. Instead of coffee dates, go for runs around campus or in your local neighborhood. True story: when my ex-boyfriend and I tried “resolving our issues” last year, we would do so on runs so that when we inevitably started fighting, we’d at least be doing something productive at the same time. While I don’t necessarily recommend that (yelling is tricky when you’re out of breath), it goes to show that conversations can easily be transferred from couches to the streets… or even side-by-side treadmills if that better suits your fancy. Running dates are the perfect pre-drinking, cash-free weekend activity - they leave you feeling great and as an extra bonus also motivate you to wash your hair should you choose to make yourself look presentable later that evening. 

So go. Off with you now. Weekday or weekend. Find whatever it is that makes you want to run, and cling to that motivation as best as you can. It could be a friend, a food you want to feel less guilty about eating, a dress size you want to achieve, a race you want to run, the simple knowledge that you can haul ass, or whatever you please… let it move you. Once that warm fuzzy rush of endorphins spreads throughout your body, it will all be worth it. 

*By the time you’re done