Why You Should Run

I read an article yesterday written by the editor of Runner’s World (see it here) and he said that the main reason he runs is because he wants to get better.  Better at everything.

For me, it’s more guttural than that – I run because I can. It makes me feel alive. Whatever I do, I do it because I’m alive.  And I want to be reminded of that fact every single day of my life.

I watched marathon runners last year with my kids and there was a young lad, probably in his mid-20’s, running with a sign on his back, 'For My Mum'.  It got me in my throat.  My kids laughed at this, thinking it was funny and I had to sit down and explain to them the reasons why this amazing man was running.

Do you remember the movie Forrest Gump where Forrest suddenly decides one day to get up and run? Sure, that’s the extreme example, but the principles are the same – one day I woke up and decided I wanted to run.

At first, I broke my body trying.  More of a swimmer, I seriously injured my calf muscles so much so that I hobbled around on crutches at one point. I tripped over a metal chain and fractured my elbows in a car park one year.  I’ve lost toenails more often than I dare count. 

Running inspires me.  Other runners inspire me.  Jane Tomlinson, a seriously inspirational figure, ran and ran in the months leading up to her death from cancer.   When I ran the Leeds half marathon a few years ago, there was a guy running ahead of me, pushing a man in a wheelchair.  He was beating me. 

Feeling the oxygen filling your lungs, the rush of wind against your face, the constant pounding of feet against gravel – these are the signs that I am alive. No matter how bad your day at work, you can go and run.  Escape from the adult world and run like a kid again.  It’s an easy win. 

When I’m old and grey, I want to look back on my life and say, 'I did that.' I want to smile and say that yes, I ran a marathon.  I want to be amazed by my body and what it can do.  I am constantly amazed every time I go for a run now. 

I am in awe of what I can do with my life.  And running, such a basic action, helps me appreciate that.

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