foundation (noun) the basis or groundwork of anything

I’ve been running pretty much my entire life. My earliest memories of running involve soccer and little league baseball (yes, this was before softball existed for little girls!). I’m sure even before organized sports, I was running around the house or neighborhood as a toddler and young child. In fact, I do remember having barefoot races down our cul-de-sac and seeing how fast we could run.

One reason I can appreciate running now as an adult is the foundation which it has provided me. It is akin to learning to read music – once you learn the basics, you can pretty much play any instrument (unless it’s a viola and you read a totally different clef…I digress) simply by reading the music. Easy, right? To me, that’s how running works. Once you learn the basics of breathing, form, pacing, hydrating and so on, you can pretty much pick up any other sport with ease. Cycling is suddenly easier because of your leg strength. Swimming is actually more cardio intensive than people think and having running as a foundation makes it somewhat easier. Name any sport; soccer, tennis, football, even a game of Ultimate Frisbee and the list goes on.

If I want to go play a game of Ultimate Frisbee, I know that because I am a runner, it will be a lot easier for me to just show up and play without having to worry about whether or not I’m going to last through 10 minutes of playing. Running provides me with the best foundation I could ask for when it comes to being a more well-rounded athlete.