Why Run? Rational Reasons for an Irrational Action
Let’s Talk About Why, Macro
Hello, Stoic Runners! Last week, we talked practically about time and routines, so this week, I want to get a little more cerebral: why run? Why, at the core of it, do we/should we/ are we compelled to run? After all, on the surface, running is a useless activity: you do it alone, when it’s over, no one knows about it unless you tell them, and there’s no tangible evidence anything’s happened. Except that’s not true. In running, you ARE doing something tangible: you are using, changing even, your body.
Every tiny capillary you build, every increased efficiency in your lungs, every increased muscle around your heart and elsewhere, every feel-good molecule your brain produces, are the evidence of what you’ve done. Their cumulative product is comfort, wholeness, and restoration. These are the records of your run. In these physical records, we embody the practical philosophy of stoicism. Seneca said that the only reason philosophy exists is to provide humanity council and a way to live, and this is what running does for us. It gives us “council” in a very broad sense, and helps us find our way through our stresses and towards a better way to live. In running, we express philosophy itself.
Let’s Talk About Why, Micro
Bringing this down from the philosophical clouds to the everyday, why run? Some of the many reasons for me are:
For Tomorrow: I run for my tomorrow self. I know that running today will benefit me tomorrow, and that's what gets me up and out on the street. Tomorrow is coming, for sure; I want to meet it well.
For Today: As I said above, I run for my future self, but I also run for my past self. I find that everyday, I need alone time. Between work and kids and all of life’s stresses, I'm emotionally exhausted by the end of most days. Running takes me away from all that. I am alone, and that is what I need.
To Get Some Distance: I run because it helps me achieve distance from myself; it helps me get out of my head. I am a person who easily gets wrapped up in things. I stress; I obsess; I want control.
In running, we have both an expression and a release of control. After all, you can't guarantee that your run will be great; all you can control is getting out there and trying.
So running helps me manage my need for control in two opposing directions, both fulfilling and releasing it. It's a koan, a contradiction, and it's this contradiction that makes running more than just an activity; it makes it an expression of philosophy.To Feel complete: I run because it completes my day, physically and emotionally. At both visceral and mental levels, I don't feel like my day is complete unless I run. Rest and cross training days are part of my training regime, so those complete my days as well. What I always want to avoid is feeling like I skipped out or just got lazy. Those feelings do not help me feel like my day or my week is complete.
When I do skip or get lazy, I don't feel guilt as much as I feel restless, like something's missing. Because something is missing! It's the preparation for the next day, the alone time, and the distance from myself. So, I run because it completes my day.
These are some of the reasons I run. I repeat them over and over to myself when I need motivation to get out there. In this way, they are the affirmations of my practical philosophy. I encourage you to use these and to create your own. If you’d like to share them, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via email.
I’ll see you again next week, but for today remember: go run.