I run because
running for my life
is no longer self preservation,
but self love.
I run because
it teaches me again and again
not how my body has failed me,
but how my body has carried me
through the darkness.
I run because
food is not a reward to be earned,
but fuel for my goals.
I run because
of all the labels others have placed upon me,
runner is one I get to claim for myself.
I run because
my shoes pounding on the ground,
my breath filling my lungs,
my heart coursing life through my veins,
reminds me that I am a person.
I run because
I am a survivor.