Have you given much thought to why you run or what got you started? You may have joined track or cross-country as a young adult, or you may have discovered running as a sport at a different point in your life.
Meeting the many NYC marathoners at the Marathon EXPO over marathon weekend only reinforced our belief that runners run for a myriad of reasons ranging from the social aspect to social impact, competition, addiction recovery, or simply to push their training further.
What type of runner are you? What continues to motivate you?
We think it’s always a good idea to come back to the WHY as a runner regardless of the miles under your feet. As one example, if you started running for weight loss, you may have eventually realized that the physical and mental health benefits were too substantial to not continue in one way or another, even after your weight loss goals were achieved.
Maybe you were supporting a charity that paired you with a disabled runner, helping them achieve the unimaginable, which was life-changing for you both.
Perhaps you were forced to take a closer look at your lifestyle and make some changes because your health was on a life-threatening trajectory.
Whatever your initial reason or goal, you are here now - months, years, or decades on, and you very likely kept running because you found something else there that motivated you to stick to it.
First-time marathoners often return home vowing to never tackle such a challenge again, but in most cases it’s too late to turn back. You are a runner whether you take on another 26.2 or simply run once in a while, but when you do stumble upon a new WHY (or recycle an old WHY) along the road, you can lace up with a renewed sense of purpose.
So the “moral” of the story here is (if you haven’t already figured it out), don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. Find another WHY, and get out there!
For tips on keeping your training fresh, check out Coach Zack’s 30-Day beginners plan, which will help kick-start your program after a hiatus or simply tackle the off-season with a strategy.
Download HERE for our growing list of follow along workouts.
