Last Monday’s session was hard. Really, really hard. I know that a lot of runners have a mantra for when the going gets tough; mine is it’s not meant to be easy, and, usually, it gets me through. On this occasion, it let me down and the main thought in my head as I sprint-plodded on through the set was “why am I doing this?”.
I made it through but the experience got me thinking about some other whys – namely, why are there 15 of us sweating it out on a Monday night? And why haven’t I asked the people who keep me going every week what keeps them going?
So I asked. I can’t do justice to everyone’s story in a single post, but there’s few snippets below of some the fantastic responses I got. Now I have an idea of what’s going through my friends minds as they put in the miles, the next time my mantra fails, I’ll have back-up. Expect to hear a lot more from these guys.
“I was taken by a moment of inspiration to try to do something to help others, even if I couldn’t help myself… This led me to sign-up for my first marathon, in memory of my grandmother. She never gave up on me, so I felt it running for the Macmillan nurses who made her final time more bearable was a good piece of gratitude.”
“ Running is amazingly good for your mental health (it helps me stay happy and positive and it has taught me that I am far stronger than I thought I was) and it is also an extremely effective cure for insomnia!”
“I started running 2 years ago after being told by doctors to improve my fitness. I couldn’t of hated it more at first but then as my fitness improved, so did my love for running. I have had many setbacks in the 2 years since I started running but with the help of lovely friends and supportive running groups (run-through!) I have still managed to keep it going.”
“I started running in 2011 partly to get over an ex and partly to lose weight. After several years of doing karate and cycling I felt it was time for a different sport that would feel a bit more satisfying and challenging. 3 years on, I’ve dropped 3 dress sizes, lost 2 stone and been happier than I’ve ever been due to the amazing feeling you get when you complete each run.”
Credit: http://inspirationalquotesidea.com/