Is running a blessing to you?

Wednesday, November 05, 2014 · Mike Davis

Good morning running world! Hope your week is going well, I am moving through my monthly stretch of days and am currently on day 9 of work. Also in the midst of working with two training groups this week as my partner Lew is taking a much deserved vacation this week. This week is the final week of training the Runners Alley half marathon group for the Seacoast Half Marathon and our Stonewall Kitchen training group has a few more weeks before they all take on a 5K. Both groups have gone really well and are totally ready to accomplish something very special. As a coach I am always rewarded beyond the financial compensation by being able to witness runners accomplish something they never believed they could do. For some it is running 13.1 miles while others it is running a 5K without stopping. While they are extreme opposites, they both are a result of hard work and attitude. Getting out to run 3 to 4 times a week despite the weather and other disrupting factors is not easy and it requires an attitude of determination. We all face it regularly, the day to day grind makes it easy to believe that we don't have time to get in a run or meet up with a group and yet we make it happen somehow. Then there are those days when we just don't feel like we have the energy to go home and then go out to run, but yet again; "we make it happen." Whether we are working with a new runner or someone competing at Boston, we see the same challenges and ultimately the same attributes that makes each one a similar success. When we are able to help a person of any level get stronger and understand running discipline, the runner ultimately succeeds at finding success as a runner. What success is to each individual varies, but for No Finish Line Running success is far more reaching than even the immediate goals our runners come to us with. Even those runners that come to us totally consumed with "PR's", hopefully realize a greater passion and awareness for their running. Don't get me wrong, we understand the desire to attain a particular time and we are experienced in helping runners get there, but along the way we encourage our runners to view running as a blessing to enjoy. If we are successful in helping our runners to treat running as a blessing that typically leads to the individual have greater discipline and respect for training or just maintaining. The runners we struggle with are those that treat running as one continuous goal after another and never take the time to enjoy running as a blessing. These are the ones that get hurt frequently or struggle with the ups and downs of their finish times. We don't push away from any runner, but instead we work to help each one realize all aspects of running. Time to move along, but I am going to tease you a bit before I do. Soon No Finish Line Running is going to announce something huge and we are super excited about this news. We are working out the details and over the next week or so we will go public. Also, we are locked in to a Tuesday night and Saturday morning winter running group in Dover, starting on the 18th of this month. Start planning now to join us for "Winter Running!" Have a great day! Mike