Aside for Komen, why run at all?

The first day I ran after a 14-year absence from the roads, I wondered what happened to my body.

It moved.

A lot.

Things swished around -- parts of my body I didn't know existed -- with each step I took. Up and down, side to side. I could feel it. It wasn't the body that stopped running at age 20. Certainly not the body in its peak running form in my teen years.

That first week, I ran four times. A mile each time. After a week, I could run the mile without stopping.

Pathetic, I thought, considering I ran 5:45 miles in high school.

Embarrassing. Why even try?

But with each day, each week, it got better.

That was three years ago. I've run 5K races, 10Ks, half marathons. I lost a few clothes sizes, and became not fast, but faster.

Through all this, something important happened: I became happier. Running made me a better person. A better mom. A better wife. It gave me focus.

When in Shreveport this past weekend, I ran across the Texas Street Bridge. To me, it represented the freedom I have to run wherever I want. That's one way this is such an easy sport: you don't need a gym, a pool, a bike. You just need the roads. The morning after the Race for the Cure, I ran through downtown, zig-zagging through the city streets, and across this bridge and back and felt good for taking advantage of a quiet Sunday morning.

The 5:45 miles are a part of my past -- back in a place I don't even recognize anymore. Running back then was about competition. Running today is about me.

Still, it is not always easy crawling out of bed at 5:15 a.m. to run, or even changing into running clothes for a 7 p.m. outing, but I understand what it does for me. The roads are good for me, even the sweat. And the quick waves from other runners pounding the roads near me -- the camaraderie we share without even knowing each other.

This is a road I plan on running for as long I am able. For as long as it does what it is doing for me right now -- it is my outlet for peace, a way to reconnect with myself, a way to make me feel good for who I am.

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"I run because it's my passion, and not just a sport. Every time I walk out the door, I know why I'm going where I'm going and I'm already focused on that special place where I find my peace and solitude. Running, to me, is more than just a physical exercise...it's a consistent reward for victory!"
~~Sasha Azevedo