More than just a sport

Over the past weeks this blog has explored the many areas of running that have close connections to life.  I have talked about the trials of running, the pain, the physical and mental difficulty, and many other aspects that make running such a unique sport.  In this post I hope to wrap all of that up and think that I may have gotten a few of you out on the road.

As I have constantly pointed out, running is not an easy sport.  It is commonly mistaken for a simple activity that requires mindless effort, after all, all you do is run right?  It is a very simple sport.  It's beauty lies in the purely primal nature.  While it is just running, there is an internal battle raging within our mind that threatens to corrode our physical effort.   Yet as runners we learn to accept this battle and push through.  We enjoy the simplicity of a running as we hear only our feet hit the ground and our sharp breaths.

As for motivation we as runners see something ahead of us.  As Arthur Blank wrote, "I run because it's so symbolic of life.  You have to drive yourself to overcome obstacles.  You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and you realize you're capable of so much more than you thought"  The symbolicalness of running is hard to miss.  If you think of running as a great journey, you can draw so much on the lessons learned in running.

When we start running it is hard.  It sucks and it really is not that fun.  Being out of shape and wheezing hurts.  Yet after a few weeks, pushing past the simple physical discomfort has become a simple thing of the past.  Yet everyday new obstacles come our way, like when the only way back home means running up a hill that you swear will kill you.  Or the run that you just feel like crap on, or even an injury.  Yet runners overcome all of this in life and on the run.

The journey never ends with running.  New experiences are constantly coming.  Running partners, new trails, and races bring excitement and adversity into the sport.  These experiences make us better runners and better people.  While the things we learn as running benefit us physically, they translate to our everyday lives.  As we learn to push past pain and hardships, we become more motivated and driven.

The journey of running never truly ends.  Each run is a new adventure, and an opportunity to truly find ourselves.  There are many reasons why people run.  Some run for the thirst of competition, others run to stay fit or simply enjoy the weather.  Whatever your reason, enjoy the sport and all it had to offer.