10 Reasons I LOVE Running

This Valentine's Day (or Valentine's Day Eve), I'm participating in a little exercise to spread the love about running.  The good folks over at #RunChat are giving away a gu gift-pack to some random lover of running.  Now, winning would be really cool, but mostly I just want to reflect a bit on why *I* run.  So, in no particular order, my 10 reasons I love running:

1. I've made some incredible friends through running, many IRL and many here on the interwebs.  Regardless, without running I wouldn't have met many of the people I now consider to be my best friends. (I lied about order, This is, without a doubt, reason number 1.)
2. The sense of accomplishment after completing a really hard run.  Even if I complain about it or wasn't happy with my performance, I still lapped everyone sitting on their asses eating bonbons (do people still eat bonbons?).
3. The massive amounts of calories I earn back after a weekend long run, which I then "spend" on beer.
4. The swag. (Yes, I've become a bling-whore.)
5. The ability to inspire others to get out and run. Or just walk. Or so something.
6. I've gotten to run in some pretty amazing places.  Along the beach where I grew up.  The trail system here.  Baltimore's Inner Harbor (Fitbloggin '11).  Disney World (while training for my marathon).  Disneyland (to run the Tinker Bell Half).
7. Weight loss.  (At least initially, as I've gotten more "fit" I've noticed running doesn't work the way it used to.) 
8. The 13.1 and 26.2 stickers I now sport on my car tell others I'm pretty bad-ass!
9. I had an excuse to finally get a tattoo :)
10. Running makes me a happier person and a better mom and wife.  It is my stress relief and if I didn't have it, I'd probably be pretty hard to be around.

There you have it, my top 10 reasons for running.  I'm sure there are more.  What about you?  What's your #1 reason for running (or yoga, or spinning, whatever's your thing)?