Run for fun?

After writing two out of the three blog post about runners, you probably can guess that I really like running. I enjoy to run a lot and there are millons of other runners in the world that like to run too; but there are also millions of people who don't like to run. Those are the people who turn to me and say, "You run for...fun?"

Today couldn't have been a better day for the people who ran in the Twin Cities Marathon. My brother and I joined in on the action by biking to several different mile markers to cheer for his girlfriend Phoebe, who was doing her first marathon. For those of you who haven't watched a marathon before, it's incredible. There are thousands of people running. Supporters cheering and bands playing. The energy in high keeping the runners pumped with positivity. The runners who have spent weeks in advance running around the lakes. The runners have eaten carbs and sucked on GUs. The body practices of marathon training can be intense but only if you want it to be.

All the runners who ran the Twin Cities were obviously ambitious people. Some had a more docile body or mentality than the next person resulting in the way they ran the race and finished. Dan Greeno, a Bethel Univerity graduate, friend of a friend, finished the marathon today in 29th place overall with a time of two hours and thirty minutes. He had worked his body to the core trying to place in the top ten mens so he could become higher up with the elites but his average 5.44 minute mile didn't cut it. Phoebe, my brothers girlfriend trained casually. She run when she could and threw in a couple long runs. As a result she finished in the 4 hour range which is pretty average. Another friend of a friend ran but she, on the other hand, did not train. Bad idea. Her result: she could hardly walk across the finish line.

All these runners run for a purpose of some sort. Run to PR. Run for the cure. Run for World Vision. Run to be thin. Run to be in shape. Run for the Olympics. Run to say I did. Run for God. Each runner who ran in the marathon has a story and purpose because of why they chose to run.

My brother who biked with me today is a football player. Watching the marathon he asked, "Why would anyone ever want to run 26.2 miles?". Me, a cross country runner looks out at the runners and says, "Why wouldn't anyone want to run 26.2 mile?" Our perspectives are different and shape who we are as athletes. So my real answer for my brother would be, "If I wanted to run 26.2 miles right now, I would run for fun."