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Why I Run - Why Allison Runs
Club: Phoenix, Montreal
So, I've gotta admit that I don't have any great stories/history about my running, but I thought I'd contribute anyway. I think everyone should write a "Why I Run" story!
So I got my first pair of running shoes when I was 12 y.o. I never actually ran in them, but they were the coolest little pair of Nike Airs, and I loved 'em. My mom always ran for as long as I could remember, and I thought that that was just the coolest thing. Back in my day, they didn't make cool running shoes for little kids, so when my feet were finally big enough, my mom bought me those Nikes and I just loved 'em. Felt like a runner even though I wasn't, hehe.
When I was 14 I started running for real. I was with the West Island Track club. I ran every single day because I thought that that was what you were supposed to do. Back then I ran because I wanted to stay in shape. I've always been a sofa spud at heart, and I thought it would be a good idea to keep moving before I died of a coronary. But really, back in that day, I hated running. I thought it was just that painful thing I had to do every day just to keep in shape. My mom had to force me out some of the times. And everything over 3K was torture.
I'm happy/amazed that I stuck through it or else I never would've gotten to the good times!
The when I was 15 I changed to the McGill Olympic Track Club. In short, that was like the being in the army and it totally changed my perspective. I got used to running all out all of the time, and running was always about competition. At that point although I ran sort of for pleasure, my biggest reason to run was to try to get faster. I was the slowest one there but every practice was about pushing yourself to the limit. Eventually I got tired of the competitiveness of the whole thing. This occurred especially after my only serious injury to date. After being forced not to run for a whole year, I realized that running gave me so much more than simply fitness.
It was a time to relax, it was socializing, it was confidence-boosting, it was fun, and there was a big void without it. Even though my fitness was not lost as I visited the Y religiously, everything else that came with running was lost, and that made me sad.
When I was 17 I joined Boreal. I remember thinking after my first trip to the Jetty "Wow, this is like nothing!". I finally saw what it was like to just run for fun and not to be completely focused on competition and running fast. Now, 4 years later, even though we've got a different name, we're the same fun lovin' bunch. Nowadays I run for the fitness and because I love the people I run with.
Ok, I realize that was more of a running history than a Why I Run story, but I'm not 100% sure why I run, there's so many reasons! But what makes me the type of runner I am now is a product of the past I guess, even though there's not much of it. For now I'm just working on being able to run 'til I'm 90 y.o., now that would be the greatest!
Allison Gates