image by Tim Elliott | Dreamstime.com
This Saturday, I am running what will be my first 5k, the Greeneville Astros 5k. Several people have asked me why I am going to run the race.
I can think of at least four reasons I entered this 5k.
1. Motivation
The primary reason I entered the race was to motivate me to run regularly.
Last year, I ran with a friend during the first part of the year. Then when summer hit, both of our schedules became way to busy to sustain running together.
This year, we decided to sign up for a 5k so we would stay motivated to run. Even though we don’t run at the same time, we keep each other accountable to stay at it.
2. Health
I am a guy with a high metabolism, so the pounds fall off no matter how much I eat. But I realized a couple years ago that this could catch up with me over time if I did not exercise. Even if fat was not being added to my body frame, my heart has the potential of collecting it over time, and I could pay for it later in life. I am running to keep my heart healthy.
It also increases my energy throughout the day.
3. Friendship
Even though my friend and I don’t run together, running has provided camaraderie around keeping each other motivated to run.
4. Accomplishment
There is a sense of accomplishment in running a race. I’m considering “raising the stakes” and entering a 10k, maybe even a half marathon. We’ll see.