By Emilia Benton

I don’t have class until 11:10 a.m. or 2:55 p.m. each day. However, I am usually awake by 8 a.m., ready to start my day with a 60-minute six mile run, as I have been doing five days a week for the past two years. People may think I’m crazy, but I think I would go crazy without it. It’s gotten to the point where when I occasionally have to skip my run, my day actually feels incomplete.

To say the least, growing up, I was never the athletic type. I dreaded the one-mile runs in grade school gym class, always hoping that my “walking breaks” wouldn’t keep me from meeting the 12-minute limit. I’ve also been “sports-illiterate” for pretty much my whole life, and was never really a fan of the summer tennis camps my dad forced my sister and I to do until high school. Imagine his surprise when I, at sixteen and a sophomore in high school, announced that I was giving into my friends’ pressure of joining the track and cross country teams. It was hard to get used to at first, but the habit of running eventually became addicting and almost easy.

Although the pressure that came with competitions kept me from joining the track and cross country teams here at the University, I decided to keep up the my daily routine of running each morning, figuring it was one of the few healthy things I could do for myself as a college student. I would recommend any other college student take up running as a regular activity. I doubt everyone could squeeze in as much time as I do for it, but I’m definitely skeptical of the many students who claim that college life leaves no time to exercise at all (I currently have five classes, an on-campus job, an off-campus internship and edit and write for two publications, and still manage to leave time to work out).

Running comes with physical and mental perks. It has allowed me to build strength and self-confidence. I love the feeling of empowerment and freedom that comes with each completed run, like I am ready to conquer everything that needs to be done that day. The best thing about running first thing in the morning is that it clears my mind and de-stresses me. Thinking over what all I need to do that day during my morning run makes my commitments seem less daunting later on. I definitely feel more alert if I get up early and go for a run before class, rather than sleeping in and waking up shortly before class begins.

In addition to relieving stress, running has also been proven to improve one’s attitude. Running produces a release of endorphins, which contribute to a general feeling of happiness. Running has been recommended for years to help prevent and treat illnesses such as depression. I have also found that going for a run before a nerve-wracking event, such as an interview or speech, has proven to make me calmer and less jittery.

Another plus-though admittedly superficial-that came with running as a student was that I never did gain the “freshman 15.” To be honest, I did have a major pizza and cookies habit during my first semester here at the University, but exercising regularly did help me to eventually adopt healthier eating habits. I’m still not a total health nut; I often eat more than one dessert a day without a second thought. It really is much easier for me to continue my exercise routine than to give up my beloved sweets. I’m pretty sure that if I didn’t exercise at all, it could have been more like the “freshman 50” for me.

In addition to helping one maintain his or her weight, running has been long known to improve one’s overall health, including fighting various diseases. Running lowers the risk of stroke and breast cancer and has also become a popular treatment option and prevention tactic for illnesses such as osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension. It also reduces the chance of having a heart attack or high blood pressure. Running also boosts the immune system by increasing the concentration of white blood cells, which fight off disease (that explains why I hardly ever get sick!).

My longtime goal has been to complete a marathon at some point once I’m done with school. Right now, 26.2 miles sounds intimidating, but if I keep up my habits, I believe I’ll eventually be able to cross this goal off my list.

Emilia Benton is a junior print journalism student. You can e-mail her at [email protected]

Emilia Bunton