• Home

Running Happy

The roads are always open

  • Home

Why do you run?

April 4, 2007 by Aleah 5 Comments

Whenever one does something, shall we say, “out of the ordinary”–you know, something from which one will not earn money, fame, or reputation–people tend to wonder why one bothers to do so. When I was an active amateur astronomer, for example, I was always met with uninterested and unbelieving look every time I talked about my passion. People would ask me what I see in the sky to merit such attention. Those are just stars, right, and they have been there since time immemorial?

Well, the same thing happened when I turned to mountain climbing. Some people said that I was foolishly exposing myself to danger (“Oh, don’t you remember the climber who died the other year? And what if you get kidnapped by the NPA?” etc. etc.) when I could enjoy the view just the same in the lowlands.

I guess one person’s passion is really another person’s boredom/”dis-passion” or whatever.

Now that I have turned to running, I get the same reaction. However, now when I am asked why I run, I simply reply, “Because I can.” That quote, of course, is a take-off from George Mallory’s words regarding climbing Mt. Everest.

However, this image from adidas also captures one of my reasons for being passionate about this sport.

It’s a nice drawing by a kid, huh? It applies to me, too. Whenever I run, the world kinda recedes and eventually disappears. It is just me, and the road, and the wind through my hair. (I admit this is an idealized feeling. Most of the time, there’s just me and my panting breath. Hehehe)

Seriously, I run because it makes me happy. Scientifically, this has been proven. Exercise releases neutrotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for regulating mood. So, in effect, while some run to relieve stress, the activity performs multiple functions: it helps maintain weight, it energizes, it improves cardiovascular capacity, and yeah, things sometimes come in perspective when you run.

Maybe these advantages is not just gained in running. Maybe it is achieved when one has a life outside of the office, when one indulges in a passion which has nothing to do with work or family, something which makes a person give time to one’s self.

So why do I run? Simply because I still can.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    April 5, 2007 at 2:32 am

    If I were your Englees teacher, I’d give you an A+ for this. Keep on writing…..and running. -restyrefuerzo

    Reply
  2. Keli says

    April 5, 2007 at 8:11 am

    hi. thanks for always having something nice to say. 😉

    Reply
  3. RunWitMe says

    April 9, 2007 at 1:48 am

    Hi! Greeting from Malaysia again! Hope to see more running write ups from Philippines. Keep running and …blogging.

    Reply
  4. Keli says

    April 9, 2007 at 11:37 am

    hey, i also love your blog! i envy you for having run in so many countries already. i don’t think we have any of the contests that you have in your country (where you win free trips abroad) so i will have to save up for my own trips. 😉 when are you coming back to the philippines? see you!

    Reply
  5. wanderlass says

    January 18, 2011 at 2:33 am

    i'm in search of a real sport and running seem really simple.. just go! scuba diving doesn't burn calories only pockets. i wish i can be passionate about running but when i'm there running, all i want to do is stop. :S

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The Benefits of Barefoot Running
  • Getting Back on Track
  • More Tips on Building Back Up After a Running Hiatus
  • 6 Tips to Get the Running Habit Again
  • Best Christmas Gifts for Runners

TEXT WIDGET

This is an example of a text widget which can be used to describe a particular service. You can also use other widgets in this location. Examples of widgets that can be placed here in the footer are a calendar, latest tweets, recent comments, recent posts, search form, tag cloud or more. Read more about the Genesis Framework.

SEARCH

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in