Motivation to run

Why do people choose to run?  There's no one answer, and for most people, there will be a variety of reasons, often over-lapping and working in concert.  From my observation, the reasons include:

Social distancing on Wamberal Beach seen during an afternoon walk

Joy  Running is a primal and joyous activity that seems to be innate in all of us.  Just watch children play.  Its acceptance as a valid form of exercise gives adults an opportunity to do things that might otherwise be frowned on or considered, at the very least, strange, by society.  When I started running around the streets back in the 1960s, it was very unusual to meet others out running or walking for exercise.  We were almost looked on as eccentrics (despite the adulation given to the greats of the time such as Ron Clarke and Herb Elliott).  Now it is a very "legitimate" activity.

Physical Health  All of the weight loss, cardio-vascular, etc., benefits are well known, though the risks to the musculoskeletal system and internal organs cannot be ignored.  I have certainly had some problems, but even though I know my body has been damaged by my life of running, I also believe the physical health benefits and resulting quality of life have far outweighed the costs.

Terrigal Beach on this afternoon's walk

Mental Health  The stresses of life seem to abate while running and can make a difference to mood or be a circuit-breaker.  Personally, I always have trouble thinking deeply about any issue (or doing mental arithmetic) while running, and feel mentally cleansed by the effort involved.  This isn't always the case but, regardless, the "time out" of a run helps.

Goals  Run a marathon, do a time, win a competition, etc.  Setting and achieving goals, not only gives a sense of accomplishment, it also gives self-respect and earns the respect of others.

Community  Although many miles are done solo, there can be club-mates, mass fun runs, trips, post-race analyses, etc., that build a sense of community and shared experience.

I upped my recent standard running distance today to 7km.  It was only an extra kilometre, but another encouraging step.  It's hard to say why today was the day for stepping it up a little.  I just felt, when exercising and walking before the run, that my body was a little stronger and less injury-impaired.  It was still slow and hard work, but no obvious damage was done, and I'll very gradually try to step up the training volume from here.