(Of course, that's part of the reason I created a Facebook page for this blog. I can update regularly there without all the long narratives you find here. Translation: this is a big ol' hint for you to 'like' and follow my Facebook page! :-) )
I've got a long list of things to share: updates on my training for my upcoming marathon (my first full is only 19 DAYS AWAY!!! eek!), how the month of February went for me (OK, I'll just tell here and now - it went GREAT! 156.7 miles with a pair of 20-mile runs) and an assortment of other items.
But what I want to share with you today is this revelation I had this morning: I'm addicted to running.
OK, I know this does not come as a surprise to many, if any. Heck, I can hear my lovely bride now: "You're just now realizing this? I could've told you that!"
This morning as I was partaking in an easy 6-mile run, this thought hit me: "I wonder what marathon I'll run next."
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| I try to get my family involved in running. My son and I are training together for a 5K, and my bride will also participate in one. My daughter and son both ran in a Kids Half Marathon back in November. |
Working in the sports communications field is a 24/7/365 job. It never ends and there's ALWAYS something to work on. But I love the profession, and don't ever see myself leaving it. I mean, no two days are the same and the job has taken me places I never would've had the opportunity to go otherwise. Yet, trying to squeeze in long runs on the weekend when most sporting events happen is a challenge.
In addition, being a husband and a dad of two brings its own set of time constraints. Both of my kids have reached the age to where they are involved to extracurricular activities. My son loves baseball and plays in both spring and fall leagues with basketball mixed in the winter. My daughter is in gymnastics, did cheerleading this winter and loves playing soccer. Lots of mom and dad's taxi service action there between the two.
With all this in mind, I recently made the comment on a number of occasions I could not wait until my marathon was over because I needed a break from training (which is true and I'm sure all runners feel this way at one time or another), BUT I followed that with: "I don't know if I'll ever run another marathon again. It's too time consuming."
That all said, my thought of "which marathon I'll run next" caught me off guard this morning. As I pondered where such an idea could come from after all my pleas for a break, it hit me: I'm addicted to running.
Running is my crack.
This is my drug of choice, and I can't seem to get enough of it.
I've been running for less than two years, and to think of how far I've come amazes me. I love and crave the challenge of seeing how far I can go as well as pushing myself to the limit ... and beyond. Apparently, I can't get enough of the 'runner's high.'
So, I ask you, what is it about running that brings you back for more? What fuels your love for the sport?
For me, running is something I can feel good about. For years I struggled with depression. Now, running can serve as a way to break through the fog of depression. It doesn't grip me like it once did, thanks to God for that one. I think God gave me the gift of running to help with my depression though. I've also loved using running to help others. I've run a number of races for Team World Vision, and helped raise up 38 child sponsors in 2010 while running Comrades Marathon in South Africa. (Our team raised a total of just over 1,000 sponsorships). Then we got to meet some of those kids, in addition to the ones we specifically sponsored. I will never forget that moment. Running brought me to the other side of the world to meet a little girl and her family that my family chose to help.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, Thad!
DeleteExcellent post! It's true that, for those of us crazy enough to do it, running is an addiction that somehow manages to win out over lack of time, lack of money (for me, anyway), family commitments, work commitments, etc. The benefits far outweigh the costs!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I am actually more like your children in my experience - my parents started running when I was younger, and it became something that was just a part of who I am (I started when I was 12, running with my mom while she trained for marathons - I'm 28 now). There is no better feeling than putting in a hard effort and accomplishing a goal, and I continue to get that feeling on a regular basis by running!