Why We Run

I could hear the rain landing softly on the fallen leaves around me. Water droplets trickle down my forehead, mixing in with the sweat. Every step sends another splash of mud into the air, adding to the layer already caked onto the side of my leg. Apart from the occasional deer spooked by my trespassing into its home, I am alone.

It won’t be long before my hands are numb, my punishment for not wearing any gloves. It’s not the first time and I know it won’t be the last. Eight years have passed since I first put on a pair of running shoes. Eight years of trying to answer the questions anyone who picks up the sport of running has to answer.

But there is one question that is always there.

It is there when your alarm clock is ringing an hour earlier than it really needs to be so you can sneak a few morning miles in. It is there in the scorching summer heat and in an icy winter wind. It is there when you are halfway up the biggest hill of your run and you feel like you have nothing left to give.

That question is, “Why?”.

And there are as many answers to that question as there are people who run. Running, while a very simple task, is also a very personal one. I know that in my eight years of running, my answer to that question has constantly changed. And the times when I could not give an answer were the times when it was the hardest to find motivation.  

Maybe you run for health reasons. Maybe it helped or is helping you cope with a difficult time in your life. Maybe you are trying to prove something to someone or to yourself. Or perhaps you run simply because you love running and cannot help yourself.

As 2015 comes to a close, I want to encourage you to look back on the year. Think about where you succeeded, and think about where you came up a little short. What was your answer to that question in 2015? In just a few days it will be 2016, and you are not the same person you were at the start of 2015. What is your motivation for this next year?

No matter who you are or what your reason for running is, you don’t have to go at it alone. At Fleet Feet Sports, we want to do more than just sell you running shoes. We want to invite you into a community of people who want to see you accomplish your goals, no matter what they are. You don’t have to be fast, you just need to be willing to try.

Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas!