Late last week, a running friend posted a simple question on Facebook: Why?
Why does one get up before dawn on a winter Saturday morning, pull on a bunch of clothes, and go out and run 10 or 15 or 20 miles in the cold and the dark and the wind and the rain and sometimes the snow?
Seriously, why?
“My answer is as simple as, because I can,” said Julie Durrett, who runs with the Tri State Running Co. in Edgewood. “Tomorrow I may not be able to.”
Indeed, that was a popular answer. But many of the remaining responses were about dedication, perseverance, and a changed lifestyle. Some spoke of the inspiration they found in others, and the craving to stimulate that feeling in others. Or they told touching, personal stories about running for oneself, or dedicating their runs to a friend or family members.
So I thought I would share a few of their stories with you.
First, the woman who asked the question, Suzanne Peters of Union, said she runs “because the me inside my head always says, ‘You can’t,’ and I got tired of listening. She always seems to find a new ‘can’t,’ but now I say, ‘we’ll see.’”
Peters now is training for her second marathon — the Flying Pig Marathon through Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, on the first day of May.
Some find their reason for for running changes over time.
“First, it was to get back into shape again,” said Minh N Truong of Cincinnati, who runs with Pain by Numbers. “Then it was so I could play soccer better. Then it was because distance running was a skill I didn’t have, and I wanted to have it. I can imagine coming up with new reasons to run further.
“But I know that I’m at the most peace when running. It lets me practice fighting not to be broken.”
Many stated that running helps keep their heads clear and bring peace and stability to their lives.
“Running after a day at work is the best therapy for me,” said Amy Kerner of Edgewood. “I like feeling strong physically, too. The speed doesn’t matter to me, but the friendships do.”
Said Emily Schilling of Cold Spring: “I run because it makes me happy. It’s been the one thing in my life I have always done for me. At some point when I was younger, I discovered I could run and go farther than most, and I actually liked the feeling running gave me. It became the thing I did to make myself feel better, a way of coping with things, or my way to deal with stress. It just makes me happy.”
Earlier this year, Theresa Baker of Independence ran her first 110K race — that’s 68.2 miles. (It was supposed to be 100K, but the course was longer than expected.)
“I’m a self doubter, and running has given me a confidence I didn’t have in my day-to-day life,” Baker said. “I run for myself, to challenge myself, to beat myself, and to have time for myself to make great friends.”
And once runners find that strength and that joy, they want to pass it along.
“My ‘why’ has definitely changed throughout the almost three years I’ve been running, said Cassie Bonacci, “It started off with proving to myself I could accomplish something. Because I had given up so many times in life, I wanted to see what happened if I didn’t give up, I’ll never forget finishing my first three-mile run, bawling my eyes out. I was so proud of myself.
“Fast forward to the past year, and now that I’m coaching it’s all about seeing those new runners accomplish their goals and pushing themselves out of their ‘comfort zone’ just as I did. So if you see me in a race bawling my eyes out the last mile, just know I am OK. It’s my way of celebrating another race and another thing I didn’t quit on.”
Gerald Salyer of Wilder said he gets as much from those he coaches as he gives to them.
“I really love my running group, and all of us but one is doing this for the first time. They are coaching me as much as I am coaching them. So I guess my real ‘why’ is the connect with seeing us accomplish this together with the individual reward of finishing this journey. People keep asking me my goal time — but my goal is to have each of my group finish no matter what the time.”
Others find inspiration from a personal tribulation of those close to them.
“I have many ‘whys,’” said Kelly Klein of Independence.
“The main ‘why’ is my father. He’s had cancer four times in the past three years. Last fall was one of the harshest chemo sessions he’s had to go through — one session would put him down for two weeks straight. We had a discussion one night of what the mind can accomplish when the body can’t, and how your outlook can change the outcome. One thing led to another when he said running (the marathon distance of) 26.2 miles was an impossibility. I replied it’s all in the mind, and it can be done; nothing is impossible. So here I am running my first marathon (enjoying every minute of it) and hopefully he feels well enough to meet me at the finish line (he’s still going through treatments). My why includes my father but also to prove to myself that nothing is impossible.”
Some seek greatness from their parents. Others find it in their children.
“My why is because my youngest daughter was born with cystic fibrosis 3½ years ago,” said Marlayna Cooney. “Through the CF community, I learned that running increases lung function in older patients, and in turn they live longer. I believe parents are our first and best role models — so I began running. Working on my fourth half for my Norah.”
Other hope their children find greatness in and inspiration from them.
“As a stay-at-home mom of three, here’s my why,” said Tara Bell. “Running isn’t easy, but they see their momma conquer on — to not only inspire them but to inspire others. Running has changed my life. It’s my me time. I could not imagine life without it. I may not be the strongest or the fastest, but I have found strength within me that I never knew existed.”
For some runners, it was the realization that life could not last forever.
“It started for me 2½ years ago — I was a heart attack waiting to happen,” said Eric Kavalauskas of Edgewood. “I had always been active and athletic growing up, but that fell to the wayside as I started a family. For 14 years I did nothing and and made horrible eating decisions to boot. The weight piled on.
“Then one day I looked around and realized there aren’t any fat, old people. I had watched and admired the local runners for a while. I walked into Tri State Running Company on my 46th birthday (Nov. 1, 2013) and asked (store manager) Craig Currens what I needed to do to get started. He introduced me to the Couch to 5K program — boy was that a humbling experience. That 5K felt like a lifetime away when I started, but I kept reminding myself ‘this is the new me.’
“I learned that I liked the physical challenge. As my distance increased, I realized that I also liked the mental challenge. None of this I could have accomplished without the TSRC running community. I’ve made so many friends and been inspired by so many (front, middle and back of the pack). I hope I’ve helped inspire a few others along the way.”
But let’s leave it to the always smiling Melissa Mann to have the last words:
“I always try to run happy and live happy, and I couldn’t do it without the friends who are with me on the journey,” she said. “Running has taught me that I am stronger than I think I am.”