Amy Robach is a co-anchor for ABC News' "GMA3" and "20/20." She is also a breast cancer survivor and an adventurous athlete who summited Mount Kilimanjaro with her family in 2018 and ran the New York City Marathon in 2019. She is now training to summit Mont Blanc in the Alps and training to run the Berlin Marathon.
For Global Running Day, she is taking part in a live run on "GMA" and encourages "GMA" viewers to find a partner and get running.
Running has been my therapy, my meditation, my escape for the past 25 years.
I run because I want to explore new paths. I run because I want to feel alive, and sometimes I run because I need to sweat out fear, sadness, frustration or anger.
It doesn't matter if I run one mile or 14, my mood is always brighter and my heart is lighter after pounding the pavement. It's been a remedy for jet lag, a way to push through the nausea and fatigue of chemotherapy, and the best thing about it is I can do it wherever I am in the world. It simply requires a pair of running shoes and an adventurous spirit.
While I enjoy solo runs, over the past year, I've started to run with friends. We encourage each other and motivate one another to run faster, longer, and more frequently.
How my run club started
While I was training for the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, I asked my two girlfriends who attend workout classes with me to run with me instead for a few months, and it stuck! Now we run at least once, sometimes twice a week as a part of our exercise routine together.
We have a true workout girl squad and we do some type of exercise four to five days a week. Instead of ladies who lunch, we’re ladies who run, lift, kick and punch!
We've started signing up for races together. I've even enlisted my two daughters to join in with us every now and again.
And, boy, do I love races! Whether it's a 5K or a half marathon or the NYC marathon, feeling that incredible high of being a part of something bigger than yourself is something I encourage everyone to try just once.
You look around at your fellow racers and think if they can keep running, so can I!
I want to encourage everyone out there to get out of their comfort zone and go for a run. It doesn't matter how far or how long you run, just that you start by putting one foot in front of the other.
Tips for getting started
If you’re just beginning to run, you know what they say, pace yourself. Start out slowly. Give yourself easily attainable goals.
Meet your friends and just run one mile, you can build from there a half a mile at a time. I assure you just about everyone can run one mile.
Invest in the right running shoes, they will make your runs so much more comfortable.
Also, pick a great music playlist for each run. Sometimes my friends and I have themed music runs to make it more fun. We recently had a Queen run where we all listened to our favorite Queen songs while we ran.
Also look for areas in your city that will inspire you or find places you’d like to explore. Be a tourist in your own town while running. You won’t even believe how fast the run goes when you can do this and it doesn’t even feel like exercise. I’ve found waterfalls I never knew existed in Central Park and it’s my favorite way to see a new place I visit, just start running.
Start out slowly, don't worry about your pace, map your progress on a running app (I like Strava) enlist your friends, and join me in our run club to become a stronger, healthier and happier you!
"GMA" wants to see you out running. Tweet us your pictures @GMA or share them with us on Facebook.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published on January 2, 2019.
