Why I run

I wrote this while still in the hospital when Derek was born in December.

Why do I run? That is the question that came up about two minutes into my run today. The first run, I might add, in over two weeks. My wife and I just had our third boy yesterday and I was hanging out in the hospital room and decided to run. Then, just after I started, I realized it was colder than I thought it was going to be and I wanted to stop. The question popped into my head. Why do I run? It would be so easy to turn around and head back to the room where my adorable little boy was being nursed by beautiful wife. But I didn’t. I kept going. And the whole time the question kept coming back to me. Why do I run? I guess I could say I run to stay in shape. To keep my heart healthy and fit so it can keep pumping for as long as it will. So I can play with my boys without having to stop and take a break or worse yet fail to even start. I suppose I run to keep my weight in check. I’ve definitely gained a few (or twelve) pounds since my last 50k two months ago. So maybe I run to keep my body looking good and my six pack showing. Hmm, my wife just informed me that, no, I can’t use that one anymore. I know some people run because they love to run, but that just never has been the case with me. I’ve run in the past because I love to compete and to compete well (my definition) I have to run. But as I progressed through my run, which ended up being just under 30 minutes, I realized that, although I benefit from most of these reasons, they are not the reason I run. I run because of how I feel right now just minutes after my run. Right now I am a better husband and a better father. Right now I am a better son, son-in-law, brother, and brother-in-law. I am a better teacher, a better friend, a better co-worker. Running makes me a better person. I can’t explain how, but if you are a runner, you know.

Ima Back!

I didn't realize it had been since November since I last posted. At least I have run some during that stretch. Not much and not consistently, but some. Stay tuned for some run posts.