Standing in a crowd of people who looked like they were coming back from a rejected superhero convention, I toed the start line and nervously waited for the race to begin.

It was my first 5k race, and I had been training for weeks so I could handle the 3.1-mile run.

But standing next to the hardcore runners waiting for the start gun to go off, I felt like an imposter. Like they were the real runners and I was just trying to dress the part.

That was four years ago, and I’ve been running ever since.

During that time, I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’m now proud to call myself a legitimate runner.

Here are a few things running can teach you about yourself if you let it.

1. You Can Do Anything

It doesn’t matter if you’ve quit almost everything you’ve ever started. If you’ve never run, all you need is to commit to the Couch to 5k program — nine weeks of three short workouts each week. If you can make it that long, running will become a habit, and it will transform your opinion about what you can do.

Once you’ve run that first 5k race, you’ll understand there is no limit for you. You’ll learn if you want it, you can achieve it. Will it be easy? No. But if it matters to you, you can find a way to accomplish it.

That lesson will spill over into other aspects of your life – it won’t just be your running goals you can conquer. You’ll find yourself feeling more confident about yourself. You might apply for different jobs, talk to new people more, feel a bit more adventurous, and try other hobbies. It will be a shot of adrenaline in your life. Not bad for that initial investment of only 27 workouts, huh?

2. You’re Stronger Than You Ever Imagined

Training for and running that first 5k was easier than I’d ever expected, even though I’d spent my whole life hating running. Reaching the 10k distance didn’t seem like that much of a stretch either.

But when I branched out to the half marathon level, I really began to doubt myself. It seemed impossible to run for more than 2 hours straight. And because I ramped up my mileage too quickly, I started feeling the aches and pains. Some of those pains were after my runs, while some were during the runs. While the old me might have halted running to nurse those pains, the new me wasn’t going to stop.

I became mentally and physically stronger. My body began to change, which I welcomed, but I was most impressed about the mental strength I had developed. Whenever I faced something tough in my life, I approached it like I would my run – I worried about running the mile I was in and let the rest fall away. It helped me live more in the moment and not stress as much about what might be coming next in my life.

3. You’re An Optimist

Runners are some of the most optimistic people out there. Who else would lace up their sneakers run after run, exercise in the rain and snow with a smile on their face, and be sure that the next race would be the one in which they would beat their personal record?

With all those runner’s endorphins coursing through your veins, it’s hard not to be an optimist. If you’re feeling blue, all you have to do is put on your shoes and hit the streets, and you’ll feel so much better by the time you’re done.

4. Your Hard Work Really Does Pay Off

With running, you get out of it what you put in. You can’t fake your way through this. Very few things in life are like that – you can’t cheat or charm your way through it. If you don’t train, you’re not going to see results. All your success or failure hinges on you. You can’t blame anyone else for your outcome.

And when you do ramp up your mileage, start adjusting your diet to fuel your runs, and begin adding in speedwork and pushing yourself, you’re going to get faster. You see the results and it leads to an intense feeling of pride. When you beat your personal record, it doesn’t matter if you come in last in the overall race – you feel like Usain Bolt crossing that finish line.

5. Runners Are Your Kind of People

Runners may seem like a strange breed, until you become one of them. They make easy targets for people to mock sometimes. After all, it’s hard to understand someone who can get so excited about shaving two seconds off their best 5k time or someone who would strap on a headlight just so they can fit in a run after work.

But they are also always willing to help a fellow runner by offering training tips or encouraging words. And they are some of the most motivating friends you’ll ever have. Runners believe in their own ability to set and achieve their goals. Surrounding yourself with those kinds of people can be one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. You tend to become like the people you hang out with, so you couldn’t pick a better bestie than one who believes in themselves and has the energy to do anything.

I Now Proudly Dress Like a Superhero

Years later, I’m still lacing up my running shoes and competing in 5ks, 10ks, and half marathons. Now, I’m dressed like one of those would-be superheroes in neon colors and super tight spandex. And the crazy part is that when I toe that start line, I feel like a superhero.

Am I defeating a villain? Kind of. The races I sign up for use the entry fee for a host of good causes, from fighting cancer to feeding the hungry. Am I saving a city? Nope. But I feel like I’m saving myself one mile at a time.

I’ve learned, largely because of running, that I can be the hero of my own story.

lzflzf © 123RF.com