By: Andrew Shaughnessy
@AndrewShag

Running has been a major part of my life for several years now. My love for running started after 8th grade track. Getting suckered into doing cross country rather than football by friends, had been a pivotal turning point in my life as a young adult growing up in a small rural town. Changing my life for the better, running:

– provided me an outlet for stress in High school and College.

– kept me sane in a world of total chaos.

– taught me self-discipline.

It also gave me a group of amazing friends, who provided me with a welcoming space to come out in High school.  I partially credit running with my survival as a young gay man in rural Missouri. It sounds crazy that running itself could provided this for a person, but it did.

I continue to run to this day for many of the same reasons why I started back in High school. As an adult, running provides me a moment to reflect and decompress. It keeps me motivated and provides me with structure to my day, while allowing me the opportunity to disconnect in the most healthy of ways.

I share this story in hopes that readers have something similar in their life, like running is to me. I’m fortunate to have discovered this outlet for myself, and challenge you to do the same for yourself. In a world of chaos, we all owe it to ourselves to take a moment in whatever way to relax and reflect. I do so for the love of running.