My Journey

Friday, September 22, 2017 · Mike Davis

Good morning

Is running a means to an end, or a journey for you?

Why run?

In my life, I have run for many reasons to include, I had to (military requirement), to stay in shape, competitiveness, enjoyment of being with my wife, social, and health (both physical & mental). All these reasons were helpful to me at various times in my life, and some of them, still play a role in keeping my feet in running shoes today.

Of course, I am a running coach and own a running business, so it would only make sense that I must run, right? While it certainly makes some sense that a running coach run, I have worked with 2 running coaches that no longer actively run and that did not affect their ability to help me improve. However, I think my coaching is helped by actively running and “testing” out the various theories and techniques that I study.

Last night, I was on the treadmill at the fitness center running intervals and man was I sweating! Pushing through that last interval was crazy hard, but I was exhilarated! My running has been a bit inconsistent as of late, though I have added some other activities (spinning), so getting a second run in, and feeling pretty good, was a great feeling. Intervals are helpful with improving speed, but more importantly for me, intervals help me to be a stronger runner, and being stronger helps me enjoy my overall running.

Why do I run? Why do you run?

Looking back at my history, I realize that running is indeed a journey for me. Various times running was a chore, as I was locked in (registered) for a challenging event. Those times while not necessarily enjoyable, were opportunities to develop discipline and challenge myself. Other times, running was social and let me enjoy friendships that I would never have known. Both physically and mentally, I am stronger and healthier, because running has been a consistent part of my life the past 15 years.

It would be nice to run forever, but probably not a reality, but I truly love the journey of healthy running. I no longer focus on how fast I can run, but instead I strive to push myself to stay strong, so that I can enjoy my running and the journey that comes with it!

Thanks for having coffee with me. Have a great Friday and God Bless!

Mike