What's The Point of All This Running Stuff?

What’s the point?

Do you ever think about that? Why do we work so hard at something uncomfortable?

I do. A lot.

I got a call mid-workout recently that my grandpa was taken to the hospital this morning. (We are hoping/thinking everything is ok). Predictably, my motivation to finish the workout dropped and I considered jogging home.

But then I remembered some wise words from David Roche a few days prior: “Love the gratitude.” A good reminder to always consciously ground yourself in your own mortality, and the passing nature of youth, every day you head out the door.

We could all drop dead at any moment. That’s not hyperbole.

We could get diagnosed with a terminal illness tomorrow, or get hit by a bus while walking to work.

That doesn’t mean we should live in fear; quite the opposite actually. We should live with intentionality to truly live.

I feel most alive when I’m ripping long runs or workouts, or races with friends. Testing limits and experiencing a range of emotions from the first step to the last. I seek it. I crave it. I need it. And to be able to have days like those, I need days like these. Big aerobic workouts that lay the foundation for good stuff later on.

So that’s what I did.