Guest Blogger: Brianna Grant, Author (We Are Girls Who Love to Run)

When running found me six years ago I was a stressed-out new wife, full-time teacher and part-time graduate student. I was tired – dog tired. Mentally drained, emotionally weak (it is hard to have much self-esteem when you are second guessing yourself because you’re new at the job and running on 4-5 hours of sleep – on a good day). My body craved some sort of release, but I wasn’t sure how to ADD something to my chaos and the thought of joining an adult league sport terrified me – I grew up in dance shoes, not chasing a ball!

But then one Saturday afternoon, while I was buried under a pile of third graders’ math tests, my husband came home from a long run. He was dripping with sweat. He was a bit out of breath. He was smiling. Smiling? OK, you caught me, he wasn’t smiling – he was GRINNING. Clearly this man had a secret and I wanted to know what it was. How could so much physical exertion make him happy? I took him up on an offer to get my first pair of running shoes that evening. The next day was the first day of my journey with running. I ran all of one block – one blessed block. That first block five years ago ultimately turned into two blocks, then four blocks, then a mile…and even further down the road, a marathon. Running enabled me to discover my inner power that was laying dormant for so many years.

Declaring that “I am a girl who loves to run!” is powerful. That simple phrase carries a much larger message. For me, running brings along improved sleep, clarity in thinking, physical release and strength, a stronger relationship with my husband, confidence and improved self-esteem. While it clearly is an addition to my plate, the plate is actually lighter because it reduces my stress levels. Running is the magic wand that brings balance to my life.

I can’t help but wonder from time to time what my life would be like if running had found me earlier in life…say around the age of 8. I try not to dwell on that though, instead focusing my energy to help others discover their inner strength by spreading the word about running and physical health. I’ve discovered some wonderful resources for youth that help them discover running/life-long fitness and develop positive self-esteem. Here are just a few:

Kidsrunning.com (great overall resource for girls & boys, adults & kids, sponsored by Runner’s World and managed by running author Carol Goodrow)

Just Run (a running/reading/community service program developed by the folks of the Big Sur Marathon)

Girls on the Run (an international group that also served as inspiration for my running and my book)

GoGirlGo! (run by the Women’s Sports Foundation – promotes all sports -great resource for current research and statistics)

Thanks for joining me in my efforts to empower our youth with the power of running.