I really can’t remember a time when running wasn’t a part of my life. But there is a clear line of demarcation between life before and after endurance running: Before fall 2009 and after fall 2009.

Before fall 2009, running was simply a means to an end. It was a way to stay healthy, maintain my weight and burn off a little stress. It was just running.

After fall 2009 and completing my first half marathon … well, I’m almost at a loss for words. What grew from the empowerment and inspiration of that first local half marathon has flourished into experiences I never imagined possible. Finish lines crossed. Seemingly impossible challenges conquered. Vacations and trips that will be forever etched into memory. A never-ending journey of learning and growth. And deep, lifelong friendships I never would have developed if it wasn’t for running.

What my old self didn’t realize is that running isn’t about training plans, logging miles, workouts or weight loss/maintenance. It’s about people and experiences. And it’s those people and experiences that continue to make me believe in myself and what I can do. What a powerful revelation.

This past weekend was no different. I came together in Maine with nine amazing runners for three days of friendship, inspiration and running at the first Rise.Run.Retreat. hosted by Sarah from Run Far Girl and me. (For full disclosure, Sarah did 90 percent of the work *smile.*). The weekend reminded me – yet again – of how much running has brought into my life.

This is what the past weekend and the incredible women I was with reminded me about running …

It’s the best way to see the sunrise.

We did a pre-race shakeout run on the beach in Wells, Maine, on Saturday morning after a dynamic warm-up led by Tina Muir.

It gives us an outlet to make deep connections.

Christine led us in a restorative yoga for runners session after our Saturday morning run. It was not only a great way to connect with each other, but also with our minds and our bodies.

It teaches us more lessons about life and ourselves than we could get anywhere else.

It works up an appetite!

Runners know how to eat, and eat we did! On Friday night we had a catered dinner at our house.

On Saturday morning, Stonyfield Yogurt, Lucy’s Granola and Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs sponsored our post-workout breakfast. Yum.

We also ate at Evolution Burger for lunch in Portland (delicious!!!), and Cornerstone Pizza in Ogunquit for our pre-race dinner (amazing pizza!!!). Yes, I ate a burger with fries and pizza the day before a race. One would call this taking carb loading to ridiculous extremes.

It creates friendships that last a lifetime.

It pushes us outside our comfort zone and empowers us to do things we may have never before considered.

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was that it was Carrie’s first half marathon ever! We were so excited to watch her accomplish this amazing milestone!

We are always stronger than we think, and we need to believe in ourselves more.

On Sunday morning, seven of us ran the Maine Half Marathon. Every race teaches us something about ourselves. Everyone ran stronger than they thought they would, including me. Be on the lookout for my Maine Half Marathon race recap this Wednesday.

I’m grateful to the small businesses and running companies who supported this weekend and helped make it special. Sarah invited all the New England-based companies, and I reached out to those that reside in other areas of the country to help us remember this weekend and be inspired every time we wear, use or eat the goodies everyone took home with them. Show them some love on social media because they ROCK!

To see more photos from Rise.Run.Retreat. 2015 from all the attendees, search the hashtag #riserunretreat15. If you’d like to learn more about how to attend this small and intimate event in 2016, be sure to follow @riserunretreat on Instagram and Twitter. More details will be announced in the coming months.

What does running mean to you? Have you ever gone to a running retreat, camp or fitness weekend?