Why do you run? Runner's High

I often get asked, "why do you run?" When you tell them how far you run when training for a marathon (42.2km) or an ultra (any distance longer than a traditional marathon), you get a blank face before the question is asked again.

The answer to this question is always hard to explain. How do you explain to someone your motivation and drive to get up at 0300 to get ready for a long run. Most people wouldn't even see that time on a clock or a watch as they would be deep in their sleep. To be honest the answer to that one question that gets asked so many times has so many different answers. It would depend if I'm training for a goal or a race, to keep my sanity, or my excuse so I can justify why I go out for brunch post run. Everyone has their own reasons and their motivation. For me, it's become part of my lifestyle. Other than when I have been injured, I've always been very active and running has been part of my life. I actually don't know what I would do with all my time if I didn't train?

A lot of runner's run for that "runner's high". This experience is different for each person. It the sacrifices, the hard work, the tough sessions, the finishing or just getting it done when you didn't feel like it, it's all these emotions that come to you that creates the "runner's high". It makes crossing the finish line in a race, running a Personal Best (PB) or achieving that goal of not walking that sense of euphoria. That's a runner's high; that sense of achievement and accomplishment to achieve something that people may have questioned. This is the feeling that becomes addictive and drives you to set another goal and keep moving that bench mark to beat yourself and see how far you can go.

So, why do you run?