"Running Shmunning"

George Sheehan wrote:
"I cannot put fitness in the bank. If inactive, I will detrain in even less time than it took me to get in shape. And since my entire persona is influenced by my running program, I must be constantly in training. Otherwise the sedentary life will inexorably reduce my mental and emotional well-being.

           So, I run each day to preserve the self I attained the day before. And coupled with this is the desire to secure the self yet to be. There can be no let up. If I do not run I will eventually lose all I have gained-and my future with it."


I used to have this written at the front of my runner's log book when I used to be a serious runner. It motivated me to be sure I didn't 'detrain'.
Well...it happened. I detrained. I had a baby, a divorce, a car accident  over the course of several years and was not a runner anymore, but yet I mourned the loss of it, as if I had lost a part of myself...

So,I Run again. I'm 20 lbs heavier, several minutes away from personal best runs but am I still a runner?

I think that quote says it all....running is more than moving my feet quickly. It is a life style for me, a hobby, a form of meditation, a time of reflection, a way to challenge myself to do better with my personal time and my personal goals. It's about SELF RESPECT. Running makes me proud of myself. No one can touch it, ruin it or make it better but me. It's about determination to get from point a to point b in something more than a walk. I do it and I feel better. I LOVE IT. I don't take it so seriously that I can't have fun with it!

That's all there is to it!

As I said, I used to have a log book to document runs.
Now I don't log my runs in a book....it would be like this:
              Date
              Distance
              Location
              Weather
              Pace
              How did you feel?
              Changes for next run?

Now, I run when ever the heck I get a chance and at the end, I'm just grateful to have gotten out that I don't feel I need to log it. I'm just desperate for a coffee or a beer and a hot shower.I'm not a competitive runner, therefore I'm a fun-runner.

George Sheehan: one of my favourite authors/ runners of all time. I'll write more about him later but let's just say this....I don't think he ever knew that those few lines of his book would get me out the door to keep my fitness bank building.