A small yet spirited group showed up on Sunday for a run out of Peak Performance Multisport in Portland. It was 18 degrees with a pretty stiff wind out of the north, definitely not ideal running weather. But these hardy souls persisted and as you can imagine, when all was said and done, they were glad they did it!
That single experience - that energized rewarded feeling - is such a critical factor in motivation. If only we could remember it at those times when we think the last thing we want to do is go out for a run! Because really, don't we almost always feel better after a run?
Another observation from Sunday's group run was that connections were made. As I've said before, certainly not all runners enjoy running with other people, but those who are open to making new acquaintances and sharing this personal and physical experience, can readily do so with a "group run." For example, Diane showed up, a "self-proclaimed horrible runner...a solid ten-minute miler," and met Kellie, who really doesn't like running, it's the least favorite of her triathlon sports. Well guess what? They ran together for longer and further than they thought they would (or could outdoors) and exchanged e-mail addresses after the run. They both enjoy swimming and biking, and are making a commitment to run together. What a great connection!
Joe came to run with 15-1/2 on his Vermont City Marathon training schedule, and Paul was there with a plan to do 14 as he trains for Boston. Close enough we all said! These guys ran for two hours together, covering over 15 miles and this their first introduction. It's pretty amazing when you think about it. It implies trust and self-confidence, and breeds a certain openness to others and camaraderie.
I know there are many varied reasons why people run; I could go on for hours about it. I'd love to hear from you dear reader, why do you run?
2 comments:
Winter marathon training has certainly taught me something about motivation. This is my first attempt at such training, and there have been times when it was diffucult to get out there and do a 14 mile LSD or tempo run. (especially this week, where we had a recurrence of low morning temperatures.)
The challenge to improve is a major motivating factor. People ask me why run so much, and I say, "the more you run, the faster you get, and the faster you get, the more you want to run." This is a simplistic way of looking at it, and there are those who say less is more, but the noticiable improvement in race times does motivate me to keep going.
The resulting fitness is motivating, as well as the calm
feling of confidence that comes from a good work out - these things keep me going.
And on an even more basic level, being able to eat more is an enjoyable fringe benefit of endurance running. Seconds anyone?
Excellent points, all of them. I'm sure many will relate.
Thanks for weighing in!
Post a Comment