Monday, June 7, 2010

Why I Run....

Today I have been thinking that starting this blog could be more work than I anticipated, but I really do enjoy talking about running. This is something that God has blessed me with and I love sharing and encouraging others.

So I decided today I would talk a little about motivation and why I chose to become a runner. I believe everyone has their own motivation, their own reasoning for doing things. No two stories are exactly alike and no two situations are similar. However I believe there are common goals that people share and common attitudes that we possess.

I decided early on in my life (when I was in junior high) that I wanted to be considered an "Athlete" throughout my life. I knew I would never win an MVP award in the NBA or even come close to carrying home the Lombardi trophy from the Super Bowl. Still I knew that i did not want to give up on athletic competition in life. My family has had a battle with weight and I wanted to do everything I could to keep myself from that. I ran Cross Country in Junior High and even ran at some track events in High School. However it wasn't until college that I became addicted to running.

During my first year of school I went through many character changes, I went through some personal battles that started making me question myself, my integrity and who I desired to be. I got into partying a little bit, but figured out that wasn't me. I dated different girls, but that wasn't the time for that. So I turned to God and to running. I remember very vividly going out for late night runs around 11:00, sometimes even past midnight. Even for a college campus those were some of the most peaceful and solid times that I would spend in prayer and worship with God. Although I had been a believer for years I was not very solid. Some of my best runs were even during the winter when the temperature was in the teens, I would get some good runs in and spent some great time in prayer.

Still to this day I honor those moments. I definitely don't go on late night runs as much, not sure Megan would like that, but I definitely enjoy the peace and focus I get with God during my morning runs. Running has always been a great sigh of fresh air for me, no pun intended, but it has. It means something for all runners, some just enjoy the thrill of pushing their bodies further and further. Some enjoy the camaraderie of running, it truly is a "close nit family" of people. If you have never ran a road race, I strongly encourage you to lace up and do so, it will be one of the most emotional and encouraging events in your life. Each race that I have ran has left me emotional in their own separate way.

I want to encourage you to seek out that motivation, what is it that makes you want to set out and compete for roadway with crazy drivers, heat waves, and odd smells? I would love to hear what it is that motivates you.

1 comment:

  1. Ha! What motivates me?? The spare tire around my belly. I don't like that. Also I know that to maintain, I have to exercise. It's a must!

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