Finding A Meaningful Reason To Run
15/08/23 22:50
When I started my running practice, my main motivation was to deal with my demons.
I was going through a heartbreak and running was the only way I found to depurate my emotions. So, I started to train consistently and signed up for as many races as possible.
This was a completely new world for me, someone that struggled with being overweight since childhood. In this sense, running became a source of empowerment, and it certainly helped me with the heartbreak.
But even though serving a therapeutic purpose, over time I realized that it was necessary to readjust my Why if I wanted to keep running from a state of Joy and Enthusiasm.
It had to be something more than feeling competitive or fit or getting over someone.
Just as there is a deeper meaning for life itself, there must be a meaning in running, a solid motivation to keep going when the path gets rough.
I wouldn’t say that there are wrong reasons to run because committing to a running practice is already an incredible conquer over yourself.
In my case, I defied and overcome self-doubt, improved my self-esteem, and realized that I am stronger than I thought.
That said, if you are running because you want to improve your appearance, that is perfectly fine and a great starting point. The thing is that reasons like these might become insufficient as you make progress.
Therefore, you must be open to exploring new reasons if you want to keep running with the same passion.
This reminds me of Romans 12:2, a verse related to change and adaptability:
So, let me share with you some reasons to run that I renewed over time, and why I chose to do so:
We all want to be fit (here understood as looking good). This is actually a great reason to become a runner.
However, you might realize that it can be quickly achieved when being consistent and having a balanced diet. So once you have achieved your goal, you may ask yourself:
Maybe you choose to keep running to maintain your fitness level, but then it would become a condition for something to happen instead of a joy-based activity.
Does this mean that running should be joy-based? Yes, I think it must be.
I consider myself a competitive person, especially when it has to do with beating my own limitations. This is the reason I love long-distance events.
Yet, at some point, I realized I was turning competition into a self-destructive habit.
This was not conscious at all. I used to think that running was supposed to be hard and painful.
Otherwise, it meant that I wasn’t pushing hard enough.
It took me a few injuries and a transformational experience during a race to finally understand that running has a profound spiritual meaning.
I still enjoy competitions, but now I join them with a different intention. I detached from the stress and unnecessary pressure that comes from running against other people.
Instead, I find it incredibly fulfilling to run with other people.
I can tell from my own experience that running has healing power. Thus, this is also a positive reason to run and stick to it…
Until something happens that keeps you out of the road for a while.
One of my injuries took more than a month to heal. I couldn’t run without considerable pain, so I had to stop completely and wait for my body to recover.
This was a rough period. I questioned my training, my progress, my endurance, and blamed myself for “allowing” the injury to happen.
And with running being my escape from emotional discomfort, I had to deal with a terrible suffocation and unrest.
What did I learn?
If you complement running with other practices, such as meditation, contemplation, journaling, gratitude, and so on, you won’t depend on running to regulate your mood.
Then, it can be what it should be: an expression of freedom and a space for communion with yourself and the Spirit.
Sometimes, it’s not about changing what we do but why we do it.
This simple adjustment can make the whole difference in our motivation.
I encourage you to find a reason for running that makes you happy. Feel the breeze in your face, become a bird and fly. Turn running into a dance, where you are the song and the dancer.
And if you are feeling wild, run in the rain.
Just remember how running felt when you were a child, and it was all about playing and chasing clouds, and having fun.
You deserve to live every day with this contentment and enjoy the wisdom that comes from being a child again.
Life is a precious treasure. Let’s honor it by doing things because we love them and solely because of that.
I was going through a heartbreak and running was the only way I found to depurate my emotions. So, I started to train consistently and signed up for as many races as possible.
This was a completely new world for me, someone that struggled with being overweight since childhood. In this sense, running became a source of empowerment, and it certainly helped me with the heartbreak.
But even though serving a therapeutic purpose, over time I realized that it was necessary to readjust my Why if I wanted to keep running from a state of Joy and Enthusiasm.
It had to be something more than feeling competitive or fit or getting over someone.
Just as there is a deeper meaning for life itself, there must be a meaning in running, a solid motivation to keep going when the path gets rough.
Pointing out my shallow reasons
I wouldn’t say that there are wrong reasons to run because committing to a running practice is already an incredible conquer over yourself.
In my case, I defied and overcome self-doubt, improved my self-esteem, and realized that I am stronger than I thought.
I even run in shorts now, something that I would have never done years ago because I was so embarrassed about my legs.
That said, if you are running because you want to improve your appearance, that is perfectly fine and a great starting point. The thing is that reasons like these might become insufficient as you make progress.
Therefore, you must be open to exploring new reasons if you want to keep running with the same passion.
This reminds me of Romans 12:2, a verse related to change and adaptability:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
So, let me share with you some reasons to run that I renewed over time, and why I chose to do so:
1. Running to get fit
We all want to be fit (here understood as looking good). This is actually a great reason to become a runner.
However, you might realize that it can be quickly achieved when being consistent and having a balanced diet. So once you have achieved your goal, you may ask yourself:
Now what?
Maybe you choose to keep running to maintain your fitness level, but then it would become a condition for something to happen instead of a joy-based activity.
Does this mean that running should be joy-based? Yes, I think it must be.
2. Running to compete
I consider myself a competitive person, especially when it has to do with beating my own limitations. This is the reason I love long-distance events.
Yet, at some point, I realized I was turning competition into a self-destructive habit.
This was not conscious at all. I used to think that running was supposed to be hard and painful.
Otherwise, it meant that I wasn’t pushing hard enough.
It took me a few injuries and a transformational experience during a race to finally understand that running has a profound spiritual meaning.
It is not intended to destroy you, but to build you up. And it is not about forcing but surrendering and allowing your body to flow naturally.
I still enjoy competitions, but now I join them with a different intention. I detached from the stress and unnecessary pressure that comes from running against other people.
Instead, I find it incredibly fulfilling to run with other people.
3. Running to deal with stress or negative feelings
I can tell from my own experience that running has healing power. Thus, this is also a positive reason to run and stick to it…
Until something happens that keeps you out of the road for a while.
One of my injuries took more than a month to heal. I couldn’t run without considerable pain, so I had to stop completely and wait for my body to recover.
This was a rough period. I questioned my training, my progress, my endurance, and blamed myself for “allowing” the injury to happen.
And with running being my escape from emotional discomfort, I had to deal with a terrible suffocation and unrest.
What did I learn?
It is important to find ways to explore our emotions and heal whatever we need to heal, instead of using running to literally “run away.”
If you complement running with other practices, such as meditation, contemplation, journaling, gratitude, and so on, you won’t depend on running to regulate your mood.
Then, it can be what it should be: an expression of freedom and a space for communion with yourself and the Spirit.
A solid “why” beats all objections
Sometimes, it’s not about changing what we do but why we do it.
This simple adjustment can make the whole difference in our motivation.
I encourage you to find a reason for running that makes you happy. Feel the breeze in your face, become a bird and fly. Turn running into a dance, where you are the song and the dancer.
And if you are feeling wild, run in the rain.
Just remember how running felt when you were a child, and it was all about playing and chasing clouds, and having fun.
You deserve to live every day with this contentment and enjoy the wisdom that comes from being a child again.
Life is a precious treasure. Let’s honor it by doing things because we love them and solely because of that.
Hi, I'm Rita
Here I write about the joy of running, a practice that has given me so much and taken so little in return.
I want to share with you how we can use running as a Spiritual practice, a daily altar to strengthen our relationship with God, ourselves, and those we love.
If interested, here you can find my running gear.