Every Runner Must Ask This Question
Written By: Coach Chris
I run because I want to feel strong. I want to challenge myself and be triumphant with hard goals. I want to find adventure in what otherwise would be a somewhat boring life. Running makes me feel proud and accomplished. If I can run, I can do anything.
Coach Chris
Why do you run?⠀
Before you lace up your shoes and step outside, ask yourself…⠀
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“Why do I run?”⠀
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This is the single most important question runners must ask. As an avid runner, it is imperative that you ask yourself this question on a regular basis.
We are competitive runners, but race results are simply carrots that we chase. Day-in and day-out, we are not catching the carrot. What we are doing is building the rabbit. It is the very act of running, not racing, that makes up 99% of our sport. What is it about ourselves, the rabbit, that loves running?
Your “why” is what makes you open up your front door and step outside 99 out of 100 days to train. It is the satisfaction you receive from every easy run, hard workout, and long exploration you set off on.
Every runner has a different “why”
For me, the times I set and the competition I face is secondary to the reason I run. They are icing on my cake but not the bulk of what makes it taste so good. Just getting outside for easy runs and practicing my race-paces in workouts makes me feel like I am moving forward. The very process of training makes me feel empowered to take on any goal. It is the pursuit of ongoing improvement and the adventures I experience along the way that is my “why.” It is the positive feeling I get about my self-worth and capabilities that comes from running that is my “why.”
The reason it is so important to ask yourself this question is simple. All runners experience highs and lows of motivation and willpower. When we are in good spirits, we all will say we “love to run” and will “fight to the end” in races. But, when those inevitable lows strike, knowing our “why” is what makes all the hard-work involved with running seem worthwhile.
Ask yourself the question
Take some time to really mull it over in your mind.
It’s that important.
Here are some questions to get you thinking about your “why:”
- How does it make you feel when you go run?
- Why do you push at the end of a workout?
- How come you want to run more often, further, and faster?
- Why do you get discouraged when your running goes poorly?
- How does it make you feel when you nail a workout or accomplish a racing goal?
- Does the way running make you feel affect the rest of your life?
Your answers to these questions will help you answer why you run.
Write down your answer
I mean it.
Write it on paper. Say your “why” out loud. Keep it around as a reminder. When the going gets tough, you have an answer to keep pushing forward.
After every running milestone, pull back out your piece of paper that has your “why” written on it. Read it again and reflect on what you wrote.
Does this “why” still ring true to you?
Join the Conversation
What is your running “why?” Is it clear to you or do you have trouble defining it? What do you do when your reason for running seems lost?
Let me know in the comments below!
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2 Comments
James · July 19, 2021 at 9:18 PM
I run for mental health. I run because I struggled with obesity as a youth. Because I continue to struggle with low self esteem, poor self image and occasional depression. I run because it allows be me judge myself on what I can do, and not what I look like. Because without running I spiral into a black hole of self loathing. I run because it gives me a sense of fulfillment like nothing else can.
Coach Chris · July 20, 2021 at 12:16 PM
Thank you for sharing this, James! The capacity for running to heal, to make us feel stronger and more confident is powerful.
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