Why Do We Run?

Inevitably we question our decisions in life.  We question the rude comment we made to a friend, the junk food we scarfed down, or spending your entire weekend with friends instead of studying.  Sometimes it goes even deeper and we are unsure whether to continue on.  Maybe we picked a difficult major or are in a difficult relationship that isn't working out.  Whatever it may be, we go through times in our lives where we think twice.  

My cross country coach always explained running to me as a relationship.  For some random reason you crossed paths and you decide to take a big step and start running.  At first it is difficult and slightly awkward to get to know, but you learn to love it.  However at some point you may come to question your relationship with the sport because of the difficulty or commitment.  

It is an odd analogy, but somewhat relatable.  So you started running and you think you might want to stick with it.  However I guarantee at some point in your running career, you will question why you need to run.  I question it so often purely because of the immense time commitment it is for me.  

It is important to determine why you running.  This may seem like a something that doesn't matter, after all a jog is a jog.  But running is a tough mental game, and something that isn't always easy to stay committed.  When the question arises of why you are running think hard on it.  

This question helps determine what you want running to be for you.  The beauty of running is how adaptive of a sport it is.  You might realize this is something you truly want to improve at and that you want to race competitively.  Perhaps you just want it to get in shape or get down to a desired weight.  And for a driven few, ultra marathons and other ludicrous events await.  

It might seem useless to figure out your level of commitment to running, but I would argue against that.  It is so important to know the level you want to run at in order to determine your training plan.  Running every now and then is great, but only continuous running will provide you with noticeable benefits.  

For someone who wants to just get in better shape or run to have some time to think, try just a simple three days a week at whatever speed you want.  For those who want to really focus on balancing their workouts and losing weight, try four days a week at a pace where you can talk comfortably.  For those who want to really commit and race I would try five days a week at a pace a little faster than conversation pace.  

If you do choose to become a part of the running community, question why and the level you want to commit.  Once you do, you can tailor the sport to you and your specific needs and desired results.