Why we run
Why not join us on a Tuesday and have a go?
Andy Kwok Martin Tony Why we run summaries
"Actually I am bored of running" I sighed wearily to Debs one night.
"No you're not!" she ordered me, with a minor hint of panic in her voice. 8 weeks of running 5 times a week in the Polar watch testing programme for the Olympic Medical Institute was starting to take its toll on me. I felt like a slave to this little gadget strapped to my arm.
"Maybe I should take up a new hobby" I said teasingly.
"No, you CAN'T do that!" she whined back at me in a slightly childish voice, like I had just made a decision to cancel Christmas. Anyone would think I had just said something really blasphemous. That's when I realised how obsessed you can get with this running malarkey. It can take over your life and probably has in my case. Even our next weekend away is planned around running… the Jersey Half Marathon to be precise.
So yes, I guess I am well and truly bitten by the running bug, its venom running through my veins every Tuesday and Thursday evening, not to mention most weekends. It won't be long now before I start saying things like,
"Amsterdam is a nice place darling, we could go there next year… oh and maybe squeeze in that Marathon thingy they do as well."
So what's it actually like to be addicted to running. Well, I guess most of you know that already, but why am I so smitten with this back-breaking, joint-destroying hobby that so many people seem to be taking up. Well, the obvious one is that it keeps me fit and with all the extra calories that I burn up it's a great excuse to stuff my face a bit more at the weekends when we go out for a curry. Starters AND Dessert. You bet! Not to mention extra lager to wash it down with — what the heck, I'll be running it off on my long Sunday run anyway, nagged sufficiently by Julie, my pacemaker.
"Careful dear, you'll get tidily " says Debs, my caring girlfriend. Great! I haven't got work tomorrow anyway, so bottoms up!
Running, I have found, also impresses all my non-running friends and work colleagues who seem to be continuously amazed at the distances and regularity with which I run - like if I ran a 10K at the weekend, or a half marathon. Of course, it doesn't help when I casually say something along the lines of, "Oh, it was just a 10K, nothing too long"; always guaranteed to trigger an awe-inspiring look which neatly "hams up" my image of being super fit and healthy, thus boosting the old male ego! I know, pathetic isn't it, but we've all done it haven't we? So I guess there are psychological benefits to running! You may not be top dog in the office, but you know you could outrun most of the people that really annoy you.
So how do you KNOW when you are obsessed/ addicted to running? Well, there are little clues and signs that will pop up every now and again. Like when your relatives know that running in cotton clothing is not a good idea; when you turn up for dinner at your friends' house and you're automatically served a plate of pasta, because they assume you are in training for some marathon or other. Pillow talk consists of VO2 max readings and PBs, and you can't remember key family members' birthdays but, as sure as Brendan Foster is a running legend, you'll never forget the date of your next race! Sound familiar? Careful, you may have the bug.
So back to the original question. Why do we run? Well, if I was to sum up my ramblings, I guess my answer would be:
1. It keeps me fit
2. It means I can eat more curry and drink more lager at the weekends
3. I can show-off to my unfit friends and work mates
Probably not all the right reasons I guess, but what the heck, it makes me happy.
More popadoms anyone… hic!