What do You Love about Running?

So for some running is a love / hate relationship.  It probably started out like that for me, but now minus the occasional run where I wonder what happened to that girl who was able to run?  I am pretty sure I saw her yesterday.  How did she get replaced by this uncoordinated slug?  Fortunately, those are few and far between.  Usually by the next run, the spark is reignited.  What in particular do I love about running?  Several of my friends who have known me for a while, and know the bookworm who would never have run in her life,  even if the building was on fire, ask what is it about running?  So here are a few things for me.  For everyone else it will be different.

1) It really adds to my marriage.  Since I am a science geek and hubby is an artist it would be easy to have less and less in common over the last 20 years.  Running has a dual benefit: it gives us a common love and hobby and it gives us uninterrupted time together,
2) I used to workout, hard, and never looked or felt like this.  I could never get as lean as I got when I started running.
3) The focus.  I actually feel like I am more mentally focused.
4) Less afraid.  I honestly thought I could never run.  Now that I know I can it makes me less scared to try other things.
5) Layering, stay with me.  I always admired those girls who could wear layers and not look like the Michelin Man or the Pillsbury Dough boy, but look cute, quirky, and comfortable.  After 2 years of running and losing around 20 lbs. I now can sport layers without being self conscious or feeling like I need to stop random strangers to let them know I am not heavy these are layers.  I was even able to wear trendy scarves this year.
6) Health.  Ironic, I know, since for the last two weeks all I have done is whine about how sick I have been.  But here is the reality, in the past, when I got something like this from my husband whose job as an elementary school teacher basically makes him a walking Petri dish.  I would have been knocked out for a month or more.  This time, though not easy, I was back running after just 7 days. Today I felt pretty much like my old self. A record recovery for me.
7) Strength.  Running makes me feel stronger.  It makes me feel like I can handle more, partly because it really helps to mitigate stress.
8) Races.  I genuinely like races.  Not because I am ultra-competitive, which I might be a little.  But because to me they are like big energetic group runs.
9) Sightseeing.  There is no better way to see a new place, or even places you might unconsciously drive by, then by running a neighborhood.
10) Running clothes and shoes.  Ladies an excuse to shop!  I now live in running clothes and my retired running shoes.  What can be more comfortable?  See number 2; I worked hard for this body and running clothes show it off.

There are lots of reasons to love running.  For everyone it is different.  What is it for you?