Do you run because you should or because you must?

Three great questions from Dr. Oz and Biggest Loser Trainer Bob Harper

On day 7 of Dr. Oz’s Look Younger in 60 days program, the following three questions are asked:

Are you living life from (a) fear or (b) passion?
Are you playing life to (a) avoid losing or (b) to win?
Are your goals based on (a) preserving the status quo or (b) achieving growth?

Answering these questions made me realize that there are two kinds of runners out on the roads – the ones that have A answers and are working out to prevent disease and the runners that answer B answers and are training to achieve a goal of running longer or running faster. There is plenty of room in the sport for both types of runners, and I am excited when an A runner gets excited about running and starts thinking of running in terms of B answers. For me, running is a passion that enables me to discover the strength within myself and achieve growth at the finish line and in all aspects of my life!

I read a story the other day where the writer discovered during his seal training that the body is able to take much more than the mind expects. His observance was that the Seal instructors will fail the trainees if they quit, but they are allowed to continue if they work so hard they faint. For me, half marathon training weeded out the ‘quitter’ inside of me. Of course, when I was injured I was scruplous to follow rehabilitation instructions, but when I was just ‘tired’ and felt like quitting, I went out for the run anyway. I said No to other other commitments and offers so I could say Yes to keeping on track with my training. I said No to fast food so I could continue to say Yes to a healthful training diet. I felt that it was easier to train as an B answer type of runner because I wasn’t running because I “should” run (for my health), I was running because I “must” run – it was my passion and a goal I had publicly set for myself.

What type of runner are you?

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