February 2012

Finding the Right Motivation to Run

Why do you run? A simple enough question, but ask a room full of runners and you are likely to get a room full of answers that are as different as the people in that room!

The act of running means many things to different people. Some folks find joy in running. Others become motivated. Some find running to be expressive. Others find it annoying while yet others associate pain with running.

Running is for everyone, but not everyone runs. There is the solitude of the lonely long distance runner, but there is the comradery of a group run, being a member of a cross country team, or amid the thousands of participants of an event like the Peachtree Road Race.

You might find a runner who is weary from a run, but you will not find one who is depressed because of running. One can always find a ray of sunshine or that silver lining. Runners can always find some joy during a run, regardless how bad the weather might be or how bad their day may be going.

Running is not always about how fast you are moving. It may be more about how fast life is moving around you. Running can provide a state of being that allows us to sort out life’s troubles or enhances the blessings that life has given you!

Running can become a tranquil place if you let it. Pitch that I-pod or MP3 player and reconnect with your inner self on your next run. Pay attention to the sounds around you. Life can get too noisy at times, but running can provide some quiet time for the restless soul. Run, smell the roses, and keep on trucking!

Running can strengthen our heart, mind, and body. Running makes us free if we do it, but it can also enslave us if we let it. Running can become as addictive as a drug. Some become so dependent of running that it commands their life and dictates their behavior.

Too much running can injure us and isolate us from others. However, running can provide us with balance in our daily lives. Running provides us with a rhythm that is an extension of our heartbeat.

The beat goes on. Life goes on. Running is a vehicle that helps us cruise through life and softens some of those bumpy stretches in the road we call life.

Running allows us to go down the road less traveled, but at a quicker pace than those on the congested interstate of life. Running provides a mode of travel that is only limited by our imagination.

To run is to have hope. To run is to be free. To run is to find true joy.

So, why do you run?