Run for the Joy of Running

Getting back to the why.

“Run simply for the joy of running.”

That was the thought I had as I was running the last mile of my last ultra-race.

For the last four years, I have run way more ultra-marathon races than I can count. I have averaged at least seven every year. These range from short 50K races all the way up to 100-mile races.

The common denominator with all these races is the amount of time it takes to train for them. When I am ramping up or maintaining during racing season, which for a northern Wyoming runner is June through November, I am on a run at least five days a week.

A Time-Consuming Endeavor

Since I still have to work a job in order to pay bills, my weekday runs usually start before 5 AM and often when I am doubling or even tripling up, I will go for a short 4–6 mile run in the morning, 5 at lunch or if I need more miles I’ll take off from work and do 12–20 miles. Throw in two days of strength work during the week and there aren’t a whole lot of hours for relaxation in there.

On the weekends Saturday can find me in the mountains doing anywhere from 20–45 miles. Sunday after church, I will head back to the mountains and get anywhere from 10–26 miles.

It all adds up to a whole lot of time and unfortunately has just been getting to be a drag. I’d forgotten what it is like to just run because I love running.

As I crossed the line of the Tommy Knocker 12 Hour race, I knew that I was on to something.

Rediscover the Why

I love challenging myself with ultra-marathon distances. The fact is that I am slow and methodical and I will most likely never place in the top runners of any race I enter. Cut-off times are my arch-enemy and the number of times I have come in three to five minutes after a cut-off to end up with the dreaded DNF are way too many to count.

Just for fun, I have decided to run fifty miles after work and run through the night. I always make sure that I either have a car parked somewhere that is halfway to make an ad hoc aid station or that I make my path go back by my house halfway through so I can replenish food and water. I love every single one of the times I have chosen to do this.

On weekends, I’ll scour a map of the Bighorn mountains and I’ll go find a path with lots of vertical or a gorgeous lake I’ve never seen before and it becomes my adventure run. Often, I’ll fly solo but many times I have been able to convince other crazies into going with me. When I go, I’m not worried about how long it will take or what the cut-off is and I have incredible memories of these runs.

Taking a Year Off Racing

Therefore, it was not surprising to my wife or myself when I declared, “I’m taking a year off racing, at least.”

Now I am running because I love running. So far this summer I have rediscovered an old trail, run a trail in the Bighorns that I’ve never done before and run a challenging trail that had me thinking about every footfall. Throughout all my runs, though there is one thing in common.

I haven’t done a run yet that I’m not smiling at the beginning, during and the end. My mileage is still very good as I am averaging 40 miles per week. I haven’t done any crazy distances yet but it’s only been three weeks and I’ve combined a camping trip with long runs on all those weekends.

Sometimes, in order to discover the why, you have to step back from the intensity of training for races and just run for the fun of running.

That is what I’m doing now and it is helping my body and my mind heal up and be ready for the next great challenges I want to do with my running.