Spreading the “Gospel of running!”

During my 1-2 days off from running each week, I like to do some reflecting on how much my life has changed in the past two years and most of it has to do with the fact that I was introduced to running.

Now, two years later, I get excited when I hear that one of my clients has started to run. This happened twice this week and each time that I heard their story I had a huge smile on my face. I see running as being very contagious and I hope that they get the same satisfaction that I have gotten from it.

I sometimes ask myself why running? Why didn’t I get introduced to something like golf or another sport? I was seemingly happy working out with weights 5 days per week at my local gym. Lifting weights surely will help you burn calories because lean muscle burns more calories than fat. With no other sport to compare it to though, I didn't know that I could do anything else. Throughout my early years as I struggled with weight issues I played some team sports but very little individual ones. The best thing about running is that it is all within my control. I don't have to rely on anyone else and that accountability makes it rewarding when I achieve certain milestones with regards to my running.

In July of 2005 I had zero interest in doing much of anything else besides lifting weights and running wasn’t even remotely on my radar screen. After my first run, though, I was hooked and it’s been that way for the last two years. Running surely isn’t the easiest sport to pick up, and when I started I was 37 and in relatively good shape, or at least I thought. I soon found out how demanding and yet rewarding the sport is. I kept feeling better and better each time I went out and I improved cardiovascular conditioning as a result. Each time I went out I wanted to push myself further and further. I’ve told this story before, but the first run I ever did was a 10K (not something that I would recommend to anyone now). I wanted to learn as much as I could about this sport and I couldn’t believe that I ignored this “drug” for so long.

It’s been months since I picked up a dumbbell and I’m not sure I’d know what to do with it if I did at this point. It’s ironic that I work at a gym but I have no desire to workout there or anywhere else. The trainers all joke with me that I’d probably get struck by lightning if I stepped onto the gym floor.

I guess why I love talking about running so much is because I know that it is my passion and I want to share and “convert” as many people I can along the way. Just call me the Pied Piper of running!