Yesterday was #JadeTheBoxer’s 5th birthday. And I managed to stumble upon the post from when we first brought her home while looking for posts on my next subject. She was so tiny! Now she’s my big dog and she isn’t my running partner. We ran together up until I gave birth to #AwesomeA, and then Jade seemed to go on strike. I took her out for runs where she would stubbornly sit down and refuse to move. It’s hard to drag a 65-pound dog down the sidewalk! So I gave up… she’s still my snuggle buddy, but we don’t run together. And she’s gained weight because there’s SOMEONE in the house who thinks she needs treats all the time.

Anyway, what I was initially looking for was to see how far back I’ve been posting about National Running Day, which falls on June 3 (that’s next Wednesday, FYI); apparently, since 2009. Each year they offer a “badge” graphic where you can fill in your reason for running and this year I’ve decided that I run to “get a high” – I’m living in a fog lately where I just seem to drift from work to taking care of my kid and don’t have time for much else. And while those are important, I also don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much, yet when I get out to run at some ungodly hour in the morning or I complete a race (Hi… Boston Marathon? Biggest running high evah!) I get a rush of joy/pride/adrenaline/excitement. So this year…. I need my high.

Side note: Go for a Natural High – Why do I know this song?

National Running Day seems to grow each year with more and more brands jumping on board with events/activities. Here are some that I’ve learned about for this year’s event:

• nuun and Motigo are teaming up to send runners cheers during NRD and possibly win prizes. Motigo is an app that allows you go collect “cheers” from friends/family and they will play for you during a race. In this instance, there is a chance to get prizes from nuun midrun.
• OrthoLite is encouraging runners everywhere to show their run for the chance to win one of three $100 American Express gift cards for new running gear and a pair of OrthoLite Fusion insoles! To enter the social media giveaway, post a photo of your run on June 3 and tag @OrthoLite with #RunOrthoLite on Facebook and/or Twitter. The photo can show running shoes you can’t live without, a new PR, your running buddy that pushes you farther and faster, a picturesque running route or simply why you love to run.
• The Charity Miles app is being promoted on the site as the way to log your miles that day, so then you’re getting in miles for yourself as well as doing good for a cause. If you haven’t looked at this one and usually log your runs with a smartphone, you may consider using this!
• Brooks Running has released their 3rd annual Run Happy Nation Report in conjunction with Running Day. It’s usually fully of quirky stats and I’ll post the full info over on TheRUNiverse.com next week. But here are a few “highlights” in infographic form.