When I was in high school and college it was to compete as a member of the team. Now it's just for fun, enjoyment, maintain a healthy body weight, and overall general fitness. It definitely wards of the aging process. I haven't ran a race in over 25 years now and feel no need to compete with anyone other than myself.
i've managed to keep running consistently and regularly for many years now, and I attribute it to not asking tough questions like the one being posed by the OP.
Fitness? Competition? Meditation? What is your reason for running?
I have always enjoyed being fit. You feel better about yourself, you think better, you have more energy.
There have been plenty of times in my life when I have lost fitness and become sedentary most due to work or family it's when you go back training after those periods do you realise what you have missed and how much better you feel when compared to the alternative
i've managed to keep running consistently and regularly for many years now, and I attribute it to not asking tough questions like the one being posed by the OP.
Happy trails in '26!
Great answer!
Makes me feel better about not having an answer when my wife asks why I run so much.
Fitness? Competition? Meditation? What is your reason for running?
It is mainly about health now. I started running as a freshman in high school 50 years ago this month. I have trained and competed almost the entire time since (45 out or last 50 years) and run over 500 races. So, at this point I continue to run 3 days per week (15-18 miles per week, mostly on soft trails) because I believe it helps me to stay healthier and fend off old age, etc. I mostly "jog" with my dogs for training and throw in a few threshold-type workouts each month. I don't want running to rule my life... I run easy because I want to have energy for the rest of the day after I run, since I have things I want to do besides running. I do still enter a half dozen races each year (10k- 1/2 thon) and put in hard efforts there but never go "balls to the wall" anymore like I used to. I am still a bit competitive try to grab age-group medals and I truly hate getting trounced by other old geezers, so I tend to run trail races with relaxed vibes and less competition. I had an opportunity to race at USATF XC Masters in Portland and also in Tallahassee but I declined because I am 64 and I can not break 40 minutes for 8km on XC course and there are freaks my age who are under 30min for 8km XC still. So, I still have a little ego regarding that and I avoid those hardcore races with hardcore old men. It is really all about the health these days and I still get a bit of a "high" when running and I still can feel a bit of a "flow state" and pleasure from it. It is quite a nice form or meditation now as I tend to run just with my dogs and no earbuds. No talking, just the ambient sounds around us and my breathing and the dogs collars jingling. I still mostly love it. When it becomes pure drudgery, I will def. quit and become a walker/hiker.
Fitness? Competition? Meditation? What is your reason for running?
It is mainly about health now. I started running as a freshman in high school 50 years ago this month. I have trained and competed almost the entire time since (45 out or last 50 years) and run over 500 races. So, at this point I continue to run 3 days per week (15-18 miles per week, mostly on soft trails) because I believe it helps me to stay healthier and fend off old age, etc. I mostly "jog" with my dogs for training and throw in a few threshold-type workouts each month. I don't want running to rule my life... I run easy because I want to have energy for the rest of the day after I run, since I have things I want to do besides running. I do still enter a half dozen races each year (10k- 1/2 thon) and put in hard efforts there but never go "balls to the wall" anymore like I used to. I am still a bit competitive try to grab age-group medals and I truly hate getting trounced by other old geezers, so I tend to run trail races with relaxed vibes and less competition. I had an opportunity to race at USATF XC Masters in Portland and also in Tallahassee but I declined because I am 64 and I can not break 40 minutes for 8km on XC course and there are freaks my age who are under 30min for 8km XC still. So, I still have a little ego regarding that and I avoid those hardcore races with hardcore old men. It is really all about the health these days and I still get a bit of a "high" when running and I still can feel a bit of a "flow state" and pleasure from it. It is quite a nice form or meditation now as I tend to run just with my dogs and no earbuds. No talking, just the ambient sounds around us and my breathing and the dogs collars jingling. I still mostly love it. When it becomes pure drudgery, I will def. quit and become a walker/hiker.
Funny . . . back in HS, my coach (one of the best in NJ history--and Wetmore's mentor) asked me this question. It was my senior year and I had just move to NJ from So Cal and he was trying to understand my motivation. I thought about it for several seconds, then replied: "Fitness . . . I like to be fit." He was skeptical and replied: "No one runs to be fit."