Off the bat I have to admit I am not a runner. Never have been and don’t have any immediate plans to become a runner. That said, my wife runs every other day and my friend Dwain is now training for his first marathon to help orphans. And I just heard about ultramarathoners who run 100mile races! I am impressed and inspired by their discipline and dedication and I am intrigued as to why it seems more and more people are getting into running these days. So, here is my question:
What is so enjoyable about running?
Those of you long-time runners and the new running-converts weigh in. I’m open to being swayed. I probably need to read Joe Thorn’s running blog. If we can figure out what to do with the kids I know my wife would love it if I started running with her.
And lest you think I don’t like sports, I just think swimming is much more enjoyable (and mountain biking, snowboarding, and rowing) than running. I grew up competitive swimming and wish I could do get back in the pool more often. It’s been great to see Phelps and the other Americans doing so well in Beijing.
Back to running, here’s the classic Derek Redmond clip to inspire us all –
[HT: Jim Upchurch]
The ABBA Fund Blog 
I had a brief running career 4 years ago. I wanted motivation to get off baby weight and had never run. My friend and I decided to do a 5K and then for some insane reason we decided to train for a marathon. We used a book called “The Non-runner’s Marathon Trainer”. It was a 4-month process and the marathon fell on my 35th birthday. My dad flew in to surprise me the night before – I had a lot of stomach problems during the marathon and ended up walking the last 6 miles and my dad walked with me – but I crossed the finish line (which was my only goal). I tried running the next spring, but it just didn’t work out for me. The thing I liked most about it was the quiet time to myself in the mornings. I may not have appreciated this as much before children! I never listened to music or anything while running and had the best 4 months of prayer time that I have ever had! That’s my 2 cents!