Running with yellow butterflies.

Running is meant to be a pleasurable experience. For most of us, the act of running leaves us feeling refreshed and energized. It helps us focus and relieves stress. And along with the mental and emotional perks of running, we are getting physically stronger as well.

And during or after our run, the body releases chemicals into our brains. We get a euphoric feeling; a sense of excitement and inspiration. We call it the runners high.

But don’t let the title of this post fool you. Running is not always a fairy tale. We don’t run with pixies and unicorns. It’s not always rainbows and happy endings. There’s rarely a giggly leprechaun with a pot of gold waiting for us at the finish line.

Because running is a grind. It’s painful but in a good way. It takes sacrifice and sweat. We set a goal and we push hard.  And if we have the will to continue, all of our efforts and determination lead to better things.

So I equate running to the life of those little butterflies that join me along the running trail. Their wings are canary yellow and the sun makes their colors shine. They look happy to be alive.

As they flutter along side of me, I like to think that they follow me because they are curious and that if I looked close enough I would see a little smile on their face. And if they had thumbs, I like to think they’d be giving me the thumbs up.

Just like a butterfly, the journey of a runner starts out slow. Like a caterpillar crossing a busy road. We trudge along trying to avoid the pitfalls. Caterpillars try not to get smushed. Runners try not to give up.

And when the caterpillar gets zoned in, things start to change. A transformation occurs. The same thing happens to runners. We develop new habits and learn new things. We find our rhythm and our efforts become more effortless.

Eventually, because of its determination, the caterpillar sprouts wings and it becomes a new being. And this is what running does.

It changes you. Runners are different. We are not a part of the status quo.

And this is what I think of when I run with the yellow butterflies. That running makes us happy and that the journey to become better is not an easy one but it’s a rewarding one.