More on Why

A friend of mine recently sent this to me and I thought it was too good not to share.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running

After reading it, I talked a little with my friend about why we run.  It was funny, my friend, like the author, runs far faster and FAR further than I have ever dreamed of, yet the three of us all had similar reasons and thoughts about running.  See, that's the thing.  Going back to The Runner's Wave here. The reason we runners are always waving at, nodding to, smiling towards, and generally just encouraging the heck out of one another is that we get it.  We can see the commonality in all of us.  We are all going through the same thing and doing it for the same reason.  We support one another.  Now, if I could just figure out how to bottle The Runner's Wave and share it with the whole world...

On a somewhat related note, I was recently talking to another friend who mentioned that she had reduced her running/working out because she realized she was only doing it because she felt like she had to.  She said she thought I was doing the same.  That struck a pretty strong cord with me.  It's true that there are many mornings I get out of my warm, comfortable, and tempting bed saying, "I HAVE to go run."  But have I really only been doing it because I thought I had to?  The very next morning was one such morning.  And as I was tripping over my dog in the dark while putting on my running shoes and trying to slip out without waking my husband, it dawned on me.  I'm not doing it because I have to, I'm doing it because I get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride from doing something that at times, isn't easy, convienent, or even particularly fun because I WANT to.  Let's face it, in this life, I HAVE to do a whole lot of things that don't give me much satisfaction or pride.  The simple fact that I don't have to do it, is at the heart of why I do it.