The Whys of Running

I've gotten serious about my running. Over the last few years I've slowly worked myself back into being able to run 10 miles and now am focusing on training for a marathon this fall. As I was running this morning I was thinking about the benefits I've discovered to running, and more specifically training for something as big as a marathon. Here are a few of them:

• Physical fitness. It sounds obvious, but I feel better about myself when I am "in shape" than when I am "out of shape." One problem of the problems I have is that having trained for marathons in the past I now consider "marathon shape" to be my standard for physical fitness. I haven't been "in shape" for many years.


• A Distraction. As a pastor, I have a never-ending job. I love it, but I need the demands of a big race to help me focus on something else for a while.


• Nature. One of the reasons I the treadmill so much is that I enjoy getting out and seeing the changes each week brings. Running here in the Northwoods is special because there is the chance to see all sorts of wildlife. I've seen bears, deer, fox along with huge assortment of birds.


• Discipline. When I am disciplined in my running, it carries over to other areas of my life.


• Ice cream. Need I say more?


• A sense of accomplishment. Okay, pride. There's a sick sense of gratification when a non-runner says, "I saw you running today, how far did you go?" and you can answer "Only six miles today" because it was your short midweek run. Slightly better is to be able to shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh, about 20 miles this morning." The look you get is priceless.