Why Do you Run?

DULLAHAN2

I came Across this webpage on stumble. Why do you run?
I started to run to loose weight and beat 2 friends the warriors run now i cant stop.

Cabaal

I used to walk alot to just keep the weight in check, then I got annoyed with the amount of time it took to do a 5km walk so I started running as I thought it would be quicker

I set a big goal for myself which was that I wanted to run a marathon, that was in February 2010. This Monday 6th June I'll be running my first marathon after previously taking part in two half marathons.

I've also signed up to Dublin Marathon as well

In short "Its a challenge and something different for me"

huskerdu

I wanted to take more exercise, for fitness and weight loss, but mostly fitness) and made a calculated decision to start running, as I had no intention of joining a gym and found it hard to commit to a regular time for a class. I decided that an exercise that I could do any time I wanted to and could start from my front door was for me.

I really didn't enjoy the first few months, but liked the increasing fitness levels enough to push on through and now I'm hooked.

robinph

It's quicker than walking.

Ruu_Old

A means to escape life's other pressures. I love pushing my body to new heights, no limits. Race #20 coming up!

BeepBeep67

To be faster than the person who finished ahead of me in my last race.

asimonov

Some combination of sanity and vanity I think.

pete_mcs

I want to be healthy and fit enough to be able to play with my baby girl as she gets older. Also I need to loose weight cause im to cheap to buy a new wardrobe of clothes at a bigger size.:)

corny

Because i can.

G-Money

To get fit and to lose weight.

Been overweight all my life, or at least since my teens. Weight has been up and down and I've been in and out of gyms over the years. Then a few years ago when I was in the middle of yet another attempt to finally lose the weight, and whilst struggling through another bog standard gym programme, I had a revelation. I realised that I f*****g hated doing weights but I loved cardio.

Weights made me tired and sore and I never felt much benefit from it. Whereas cardio made me feel fitter and healthier, immediately. Plus the more I went to the gym the more I had to supress my anger at big fat necked neanderthol weight lifters who can't set the weights down on the floor properly. But who instead have to drop them from a few feet in the air. I guess the weight lifting isn't helping them seeing they can't set them down properly :pac:

I struggled on though and kept going to the gym. And then like a lot of other people, I stopped going but was still forking out money each month. So I let my year run out and I cancelled my membership.

I then had a gap where I did flip all exercise then around April last year I started doing a lot of walking. I'd been increasing it for about 6 weeks to the point where I felt like trying some jogging. I started out on the Couch to 5k programme, managed to get through it and a year later I'm still jogging/running.

I'm not going to pretend I'm the best or the most consistent jogger or runner out there as I'm not. However now a year later I'm still managing to get out most weeks which is something I never stuck to when in the gym.

I like that I can just put on my gear, walk out the door and run. After a while of being in the gym one thing dawned on me. Why am I having to get into a car, having to drive somewhere, find a park, go in and get changed, and only then be able to start my exercise. Add in having to sometimes skip parts of your workout as there were no free machines or the fact that someone was hogging a machine so much they might as well have put a wedding gown on it.

With running I can just go out the door and that's it. Now I guess you could say I'm contradicting myself as I'm about to join a running club where I will have to get into a car and drive to the training nights. That's true, but it's different for a few reasons. It's much cheaper. A years membership for the running club is about the same as 1 month's membership of a gym. Plus there are no extortionate, unreasonable and to be honest, unacceptable things such as "joining fee's".

I've only been to the running club twice so far, but I've spoken to and exercised with, more people in those two sessions than I had in years spent in a gym. So even after two sessions, it's immediately much more social.

I'm not going to profess that I love running. I don't. At least not yet. However it's on my mind almost every day. I have that little voice that says "you should probably go for a run". I ignore that voice too much but I'm trying to listen to it more.

To this date I've done a 5k, 4 mile and 10k race. I'm scheduled to do the half marathon in September and I've tentatively penciled myself in to do the Dublin marathon next year.

Several years ago if you'd have suggested I take up running I'd have laughed in your face. Funny how things change.

End of G-Money waffle :pac:

kit3

Initially I started running to get fit. I'd danced for years until I was 19/20 and then did nothing excercise wise for about 12 years. Started running the summer before I got pregnant with no 1 - that was the end of that for a while. Did the odd run in between no 1 and 2 and between no 2 and 3. Got back at it in March 2009 at the age of 41. I've done 6 half marathons since then and hope to give DCM a go in October (I've almost registered twice - third time lucky - maybe I'll actually do it )

Agree with the comments above but for me the most important thing I get out of it is head space - I love getting out and leaving everything behind (or working it all out if it insists on coming along !)

ger664

Its the best way to see the sunrise.

dahat

12 months ago i was a 20 stone heavy smoker and just last night i did my first 5k.27 mins.
Now only been running recently but as others have said it is damn faster than walking n more refreshing i think.
As i have a underlying health condition 10k will be the furthest i ever run but i am well pleased to be even thinking about going that far.
All it has cost me is a good pair of runners,some dri-fit gear n thats it really.a whole lot cheaper than 400-600 gym memberships

tHE vAGGABOND

Same as many people, I started to loose weight and the more I ran, the more I loved it...