AGAIN, WHY?

POST-RUN JOY

Lexington, MA

Recently, one of the companies I represent asked a group of us to shoot a video of ourselves answering the question, WHY DO YOU RUN?  I think about the answer to this question just about every day.  Running plays so many different roles in my life and thus my answer tends to reflect what I am using it for at that particular moment.  Am I stressed?  Angry?  Sad?  Do I need a break?  Do I need to mull something over?  Or do I just need to move?  To be outside?  To lose myself for a little while?  Because in the end, regardless of how I feel when I start my run, I tend to finish feeling better.  Yesterday, I sat and thought about all of this as I was preparing to head out for my workout.  I had a tempo run on the schedule.  These are really, REALLY, hard for me.  Sandwiched between a warm up and a cool down, I would be aiming to run three miles at 6:35 per mile, a pace that's tough for me to hold.  Not impossible.  Just tough.  I was heading into the workout tired and a bit worn down from the hectic week I'd had so far.  I was itching to get it over with.  But, I was having a hard time motivating.  Because, truthfully, I was kind of dreading it.  So why do it?  Why not head out for an easy cruiser instead of the tempo run.  Or, better yet, just bail all together.  No one is going to punish me if I don't get it done.  Ah, but this lead me back to the original question.  Why run?  In yesterday's case, it turns out that I was craving the challenge.  I wanted to see what I was capable of.  I wanted to go beyond my comfort zone.  And I wanted a dose of that joyful feeling running often gives me.  Would I get it all from this one run?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But, it was worth the risk.  It always is.  The second I put on my music and headed out the door my entire attitude began to shift.  My body immediately reacted to the change and my legs began to flow.  Within a few minutes I was focused and ready to rock.  Okay, Rebecca, let's see what you've got today.  And then I was off.  Not every workout ends in success.  But, this one did.  And the rest of my day?  It was awesome.  So, yeah, that's why I run.

Listen to this:
COLORS - VÉRITÉ