Why run?

"Why Run?" A question often asked by people that don't run and answered by people that do. I asked this question in a Facebook group. I was expecting many responses to include charitable or health related causes. Instead I received a variety of strange answers: most were a laugh, some were serious and some needed their local crisis centre contact number. I guess though I was looking for an answer for myself. Why do I run?

It has been about 5 years since i discovered the world of long-distance trail running. I wrote 2 x articles at the time. One just before I ran my first 100km event, and another just after I completed it. (Links to the articles below)

At that time my answer to the question "Why run?" was for charity. It revolved around raising money and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. My eldest daughter had been diagnosed at a young age and I felt empowered to do something about it. In 2017, with a core group of likeminded individuals we raised over $100,000 for JDRF Australia from family, friends and anyone we could reach through our networks.

We came away from that event with a sense of purpose. We believed that there were going to make a difference. We had created a group called "Too many pricks" and saw a future revolving around partnerships and fundraising events. We printed hats and shirts, and set-up an online events platform. We had branded flags and a tent on the beach for the City to Surf. Yet we found nowhere near enough time to put into it. We all had competing life priorities and it slowly disappeared into the rear-view.

I also felt awkward asking people for more money for the next thing we were planning. I am sure it is the same for other people who raise money for a cause. It's a lot to ask of your friends and family. And your cause is just one of many highly worthy charities. Not to mention all the other people that run, swim, or do other fantastic feats in the name of raising funding and awareness.

So ever since then, I must be honest, I have just run for myself. The journey I started to attempt the most difficult thing I could imagine at the time; for a cause that mattered more to me than anything, has become very self-serving. I have now run many events over 100km and add to that a bunch of both full and half distance ironman raising exactly $0 more for any worthy causes. I have donated to other people doing amazing things for great causes during this time, but I have kept running for myself.

These days my answer to the question "Why Run?" has had a few typical responses:

• Mental Health - there is something about running through the bush on trails that releases my mind from the pressures of life. Work and family stresses can take a back seat for an hour or so and I can either forget about them or focus on a problem. Somehow running helps me think of new ways to approach difficult things. Sometimes I'm zoned out to music, and sometimes I'm solving the latest supplier problem for work. Overall, I feel I am calmer, more empathetic, and more considerate. I don't know if my wife or colleagues would agree with this non-scientific self-assessment, but it certainly feels like this to me.
• Camaraderie - Before I discovered ultra-marathons, I could not comprehend how it was possible to do something like this. It didn't make sense to me. I thought the people who did them were either athletic freaks or mental. It turns out I was correct on both counts; however, they are also normal everyday people. They are mostly not super-athletes they are just in general super-friendly. There is this "knowing" between all people involved in this crazy world of ultras, like an empathetic camaraderie that is difficult to explain. We talk on the trails, connect on socials, slap backs at the finish line and help each other. We connect over this delicate balance between suffering and elation that makes us feel alive.
• Fitness - I'm 45 at the time of writing this and I feel as fit as I ever have. However, my health was not great at times over the last 20 years. After I gave up rugby and began work, I really didn't spend any time doing regular exercise. I would still get involved in occasional sport; however, my weight had ballooned to almost 130kg. I stopped weighing myself at that point. Part of the reason I began this running journey was to do something about my fitness. I also stopped drinking alcohol completely. And as that fog lifted it was so crystal clear to me that for half of my life, I had been alcohol dependant. I no longer drink or desire to drink at all. My weight hovers around the 95kg mark these days; I don't keep track of it: It's just one measure of fitness. My main goal is to feel healthy, to feel alive, and to breathe in the world. I'll run till I can't run anymore, because it is such a visceral and vibrant way to stay fit and healthy as I get older.

You may have heard about this legend called Nedd Brockmann . Nedd decided to run for the homeless in Australia. He asked a simple question "In a country as prosperous as Australia; Why does anyone have to sleep on the street?" This question together with his mind-boggling feat of endurance, running 100km A DAY across Australia from Perth to Sydney, resonated to the tune of over $2,000,000. You can read more and donate to Nedd's cause @ https://www.neddsrecordrun.com/

When I look at what Nedd has achieved, I feel inspired to do something again. I want to run for a cause that is bigger than myself. I have a few ideas percolating. If you are asking yourself; "Why run?"; you may find the answers within yourself. But it doesn't hurt to start with a cause that is meaningful to you. Tell your friends and family about it. Sign up to an event that will challenge you. Your efforts will make a difference no matter the size of your challenge or how much money you raised. People will surprise you with their generosity. You'll find more answers in yourself and maybe you'll end up being one of the people that instead asks the question: "Why not run?"