Apple watch equipped, Vomero 5s on, shorts tied and ready to go, with a nice day of San Francisco breeze and scenes waiting to be explored through the exercise of running.
Recently, I’ve found myself spending my weekends on moderately short evening runs. In this practice, I’ve found the results to be reconstructing my daily life in ways I never imagined. This includes my mental health and overall clarity, stamina, and drive to push through difficult circumstances, something I’ve relied on to advance me through the weeks that feel like they never end.
Like many other casual runners, running wasn’t introduced to me at a young age. It was something I hated throughout my whole life. The hobby was something I associated with punishment and negativity because I participated in sports, predominantly basketball. My coaches used running as a tool to challenge us to be consistent, to get better, or just to do the right thing.
My stamina wasn’t the best, and I didn’t want the act of running to feel like a chore every time I did it; so I decided to join my school’s cross-country team to further my conditioning. At first, things were hard, and I hated it. But as time went on, I found myself enjoying running. I began to understand what it really took to do hard things and be successful, while seeing my body evolve with a heightened sense of mental clarity and further prepared me to take on the week.
Besides, my experience with running is something I can go on about excessively, but I want to let you know how you can take part in the journey as well.
San Francisco is home to many ideal running locations, such as Golden Gate Park, Crissy Fields, Embarcadero, and the Presidio, all of which offer amazing views of the city and the challenge of running. One of my personal favorites would be the Golden Gate Park area. It’s one of the largest places within San Francisco with many different terrains and areas to challenge your running capabilities. The Park also offers a runner-friendly environment with large, shady trees and a welcoming atmosphere for those seeking the perfect weather and people to cheer you on your running journey.
Here are some Mission High students’ takes on running:
Beginning with a Mission High 10th grader, Joaquin Martinez-Sun, who, in fact, has been interested in running since middle school and now participates in track and field at MHS.
“Running is very therapeutic. Even though it can be stressful, like if you have an upcoming race or something on your mind that is causing you stress, running may allow you to feel relaxed and liberated.” Joaquin’s advice to those looking to begin running is “Don’t overthink it, you know? Just start, find a group of people you know who are open-minded, and you’d feel comfortable running with, and then just start and figure out what you want to do. But the hardest step is the first one.”
My next interview was with 12th-grader Carlos Ríos Ventura, a MHS soccer player who also runs recreationally.
Carlos mentioned that his journey with running began from watching others consistently move and stay active. “I see you motivated every day running, I see that, I like that; so I start running, and even though I may not be the best, I start running.” He mentioned. I continued to ask Carlos how running affects you internally and mentally. He stated, “Absolutely, it does, I can stay focused on my sport, and not think about bad things y’know? I have problems every single day, whether it’s family or sports. But I would say running relaxes my mind, and it allows me to stay focused and relaxed.”
Actively interviewing students my age allowed me to further understand the benefits of running. Positive symptoms such as feeling relaxed, motivated, and de-stressed, and just the outright act of using recreational running as a tool of therapy are all things I found myself relating to and things I believe many others, including you, can take part in as well. So in the coming days, be sure to strap on your Apple Watch, tie up your Vomeros, tighten up your shorts, and get ready for your life-changing running experience around the beautiful city of San Francisco.
