Quick Thought on Why I Run

Two of the reasons that I enjoy jogging/running are (1) when I run alone I can enjoy the clearest of perspective and thinking on myself and the world about me and (2) when I run with others, especially family, we share a common bond in our effort that non-runners do not comprehend.

First, when I run alone, while my body is meandering through a run, however easy or hard, long or short, my mind can go wherever it wants without the interruptions of a noisy world. Sometimes my brain can meander through unstructured chunks of thought before hitting upon something of real value to my day or life. On other occasions, I just enjoy observing the things around me and pondering how cool this world is. In fact, I have gone away from wearing earphones and listening to music, news, etc. while running, because those things already intrude upon my life the other 23 hours of my day and I want my runs to be something different, and better.

In addition, although 99.99% of us are not the fastest in the world, through running we learn to reach beyond ourselves to feel the exhilaration of going farther and faster than we thought possible. Those who refuse to run can never understand how running may be the purest form of athletic endeavor. Only in running do we have to accomplish the run almost totally by ourselves. While a group can help us to see more of ourselves than we do, thus allowing us to go farther and faster, in the end we alone can push ourselves to the end. Runners get what Edmund Hillary meant when he was asked why he climbed Mount Everest and said: "Because it is there." Only those who have summitted Everest understand what it means to be "there." In essence, runners run because through running we see something greater in ourselves than we do through other endeavors. We run to see and feel what is "there" in running and nowhere else.

A runner understands what Amby Burfoot, a lifelong runner, former Boston Marathon winner (as well as other marathons), and executive editor of "Runner's World" magazine meant when he said: "I have learned that there is no failure in running, or in life, as long as you keep moving. It's not about speed and gold medals. It's about refusing to be stopped." ("The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life," Burfoot, A. 2000). And runners refuse to be stopped.

Second, when I run with others, we share a common understanding that running together is more than sweat and effort; it is about comradery and caring more about the group than ourselves. When runners truly run together they have no need to one up or beat any of the group. The fastest runner wants the slowest runner to "finish the run" and is willing to sacrifice speed and distance to make that happen. The slowest runner often runs farther and faster than expected and reaps the reward of being "pulled along" by the other runners. And everyone has a good time. Because we care more about the group than ourselves, we become not just better runners, but better people in all parts of our lives.