I was having my Team Rogue office hours on Tuesday with an athlete I have been coaching, on & off, for around 5 years. We’d been communicating through email about some coaching comments I’d made to her concerning why I wanted her to back off of a certain type of interval workout. My concern was that, given what I knew about her motivations, her past training & racing, combined with her personality, she would begin peaking too early. We are around 12 weeks away from our goal race…I was concerned that we needed to adjust the training the group was doing to fit her tendencies. Of course, this conversation occurred at around
She decided to bring the answers to my office hours & we imparted on a long conversation that went beyond strengths & weaknesses & shot straight to the heart of why we run.
The question is ubiquitous, if generally unasked. Why does one step out on the roads or trails, placing one foot in front of the other in pointless, humdrum repetition? Even the elite among us recognize that the pay-off is ephemeral. A great friend of mine put it to me best over 15 years ago, there is no reason to running…it is an essentially meaningless activity. I think his direct quote was something like, "I run because it doesn't make sense; because everything else in my life makes sense and I need something that doesn't." Sure it provides some health benefits but considering the the way the majority of people I know run there are also serious health concerns associated with high mileage &/or high intensity. Undoubtedly we had an evolutionary purpose for running beyond the flight or fight response that might have a key to why so many people who have no real need to run continue to don their running apparel & slog though the miles. But ultimately there must be more to it...
It brings me to think more about why I run…or more accurately right now, why I don’t run.
Why do YOU run?
14 comments:
running:
gives me a reason to get out of bed
gives me strength, both physical & emotional
gives me time to reflect, in solitude
gives me an unlimited circle of friends
gives me sunrises that i would otherwise miss
makes my ordinary existence... a little more extraordinary
I think this is MY topic for Thursday evening, and you can't have it :)
I run because:
lots of physical reasons, but mainly
it lets me be me
it challenges me
it soothes my thoughts.
I think I was there for those office hours and I'd been thinking about this lately. More time to contemplate these things since I'm soon in between jobs for three weeks (by choice).
Here are my reasons and realization that some aren't clear to me yet: http://austinmetronome.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/why-i-run-versus-why-i-train/
So I would have to say, "Wy do we fall in love?" We all know that love is both elating and devastating. Who needs that? It doesn't put food on the table or a roof over our heads...or does it? Perhaps, like love, running feeds, challenges, and comforts the soul. Good enough reason for me.
running make me more me...I am happier after a run, I am more sane, I am calmer but energized, I am satisfied even if I don't have a good day, I love the people I run with, they make me better, I love everything about the lifestyle even when my body says no, that's why it's so dam hard to stop even when I know I should...
i run for two reasons:
1) i love the challenge. it's great waking up each morning with a task at hand...and knowing that no matter how you feel if you just get out there and put one foot in front of the other, you will accomplish your task. yeah, some days are a lot worse than others...but you can still finish your run with a sense of accomplishment and look ahead to take on whatever challenge you'll face next.
2) i look at my ability to run as a gift from God so each time i run i have the opportunity to give Him glory by using what his given me
I run as it allows me to freely be the person I am. Each day it provides a challenge in my life that I cannot find in any other aspect of my life.
I recently thought I would stop racing and training, and just run for the enjoyment of it; the fitness aspect, etc.
But it's been the worst running and as far as motivation goes, it's been terrible.
My enjoyment came in bettering myself for competition. So I run to race.
As an answer to that question I once wrote on the adidas wall at a marathon expo...'because I can'.
Really, I run because it changes my body and mind. It brings clarity and helps me focus my energies on what is important. It quiets my mind.
I run with a group for the friendships it brings and the competitive spirit it fosters.
I run because it makes me happy.
I started running 6 years ago because my whole 35 year working life has been focused on intellectual challenges, not physical.
I wanted to discover how I would react when my body was pushed one step too far. With Steve’s help (?) I quickly got there – and discovered that the real challenge is mental!
I love running because it makes me feel stronger in all parts of my being.
I run: To one day join two other fellow men and three women who represent the red, white, and blue, in the longest race at the Olympic Games. Every day I improve and every step matters. I run because its what I love and most of all I love sharing my passion and my dream above with others and I wish to inspire others to have similar passions and dreams as well.
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