Letsrunners: why do you run?

I run because it gives me something to focus on outside of work. It clears my head and I definitely appreciate the physical/weight benefits too. Plus, some day I know that I won't be able to be very physically active, so I'm grateful that I can run now.

Ichliebelaufen wrote:To be with friends?

this is a strange on. One reason why have time to run is the fact that most of the friends have families now. When social life is kind of less active than before one has time to run.

Dude, you need to get some running friends, they are the best kind. I run with friends one evening a week and both Saturday (trails) and Sunday (road) mornings. We hang out afterward for beer/breakfast depending. We go to races together. Great peeps.

I don't really know wrote:

I think it might have something to do with the fact that the rest of my family are so effing lazy.

I'm with you on that one. Most of family are sedentary, overweight, eat like sh1t, and don't seem care about their health. Fortunately I escaped their curse because I'm nothing like them. My brother, who was an all-state rower, looks like he has gained 20-30kg since graduating high school.

Aside from that, I enjoy training for races. It's fun seeing my times improve across different distances. Running is a simple sport for which you need so little, and can do almost anywhere, any time of year. After being marred by injuries for an entire year, I've finally been able to stay consistent. I've also realised that I much prefer running to cycling.

Ichliebelaufen wrote:

I'm interested in why my you all (like me) love to run.

To pursue and achieve goals?

To feel good?

To improve health and longevity?

To be with friends?

To meditate, or even worship?

There are so many benefits. Which to you are paramount? Thanks.

Oh, Bucci, many reasons I maintain. De hominis dignitate.

Sometimes as an escape, sometimes to confront.

To celebrate creation and natural and man made beauty.

When I was a boy I visited old islands of Greece. I knew all the old heroes did running and fitness training. Did I have what it took, I wondered, in the fading light of the beautiful summers eve, along a beach side gravel road, dotted with white walled hamlets.

It's fun, kids run all the time.

Racing the 800 is like bungee jumping. The nerves, even hoping the race gets cancelled, then the kick of the race itself.

I already had a super model wife, 5 beautiful kids, and was making > $250k. Naturally followed that I should get in shape to break 14 min for 5k (which I did last week by the way).

1. To passive aggressively rub anyone who is 1 second or more slower than me in a 5k's nose into it every chance I get.

2. To add to the list of people that are 1 second or more slower than me in a 5k.

"For no particular reason."

- Forrest Gump, and me

I started training a lot when I was 10. I was still really interested in running before that from time- to - time I did a bit of running. I used to be Average and I wanted to make it to zone to represent my school. I started training and even did three 3ks in a day! I won the school cross country then from there I got better and better and better and even better.

I run because

It's fun ( even when I'm tired)

I want to get even better

I want to run faster

running is a living a real life

I enjoy the competitions

also ppl want to be friends with me more because they think I'm cool.

I feel good to be good at something

mostly because I dont like being any more tragically slow than I already am

To practice discipline and because it's fun!

- Self-improvement

- Competition

- Input/output relationship. As in you get out what you put in

- Training theory is fun

- Getting better sleep and having less anxiety is a nice side effect

I ran because I had no talent to play a real sport and wanted to do some sport at high school.

Too short (5'10") for basketball.

Couldn't hit the baseball good enough.

Too small for football (135lbs)

To quote George Mallory, "Because it's there".

To fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run.