Why do I Want to Run?

I am intrigued and amazed by the necessity to explain and the difficulty to convey the reason why I run. I, for one, am faced with that dilemma every Sunday morning when my children, with sleep heavy in their eyes, ask, “Mama, why do you have to run?” I want to tell them that I do not have to, I want to, but I know that answer will only prompt another question, why do I want to run? Because…I don’t know, maybe because running is the pillar of my resilience; that what started as a way to lose weight is now a way of life.

Running is more than a physical activity. It is a feeling I am delighted by, obsessed with, driven by. Running nourishes my soul and soothes my mind. I would like to tell them that until they do it, they won’t understand that catharsis that overcomes a person after a hard run, when, with muscles aching and sweat pouring, at that instant all is right with the world.

I would like to explain, seeking their approval that the long runs they hate so much have cemented some very memorable relationships in my life, and even those run in solitude have dissipated my fears and calmed my anger. Running is an extension of my emotions.

Maybe one day they will understand that this world they are getting to know is a stage and that in running there are no scripts and I play no roles – I, for once, am who I am. That when I run and my eyes get lost in that divine painting of the horizon, I do not become more nor less than, I become one with.

Myriam Loor (author), to Orange Runners Club February 6th, 2013

Like to read more?

President's Message - Previous Issues