Someone explain the point of running all those miles please!!??

[Yoop33]

I have been an athlete all my life. Played college basketball, and a slew of HS sports including Track and Field. I still continue to train with weight lifting and rec sports but never once in all my life did I enjoy nor want to run for fun. I dont understand why someone would want to put their body through that physical and mental constant pain time and time again.
The funny thing is that my girlfriend runs Marathons like she was born to do it. Marine Core last month, Space Coast in a week, then Boston in April.
Now while I completly respect the dedication and determination it takes and needs to run a marathon, I just dont get it... Someone please turn the lights on for me??!!

 

[DisneyJoe]

Why run up and down a hard floor with 9 other players trying to shoot a ball into a hoop??

 

[Yoop33]

Why run up and down a hard floor with 9 other players trying to shoot a ball into a hoop??

What I am trying to ask is, What does one get out of it? I understand there is a great sense of accompishment in doing something not many others can do. But take a team sport like Basketball since you asked. It is a sense of being a part of something bigger then yourself. Having that brotherhood and knowing you can rely on someone or a team to have your back at all times and at all costs. Its the sense of working hard together to be more dominant that the other team and nothing is more pleasing than a Team Victory!

Im not trying to push any buttons here... I am genuinly asking. I have grown to appreciate the work my girlfrien puts in and will be going to Space Coast and Boston with her. I am intrigued to know more about the sport but just dont truely understand

 

[joel_maxwell]

What I am trying to ask is, What does one get out of it? I understand there is a great sense of accompishment in doing something not many others can do. But take a team sport like Basketball since you asked. It is a sense of being a part of something bigger then yourself. Having that brotherhood and knowing you can rely on someone or a team to have your back at all times and at all costs. Its the sense of working hard together to be more dominant that the other team and nothing is more pleasing than a Team Victory!

Im not trying to push any buttons here... I am genuinly asking. I have grown to appreciate the work my girlfrien puts in and will be going to Space Coast and Boston with her. I am intrigued to know more about the sport but just dont truely understand

I played organized sports all my childhood, middle and high school levels. I got out of them what I needed too. I learned a lot of lessons in life; drive, determination, how to work as a team, toughness, mental toughness, a sense of my limits physically, fears so on and so forth. They were all team driven. That is fine... but there was one thing always missing from them. My personal goals.

At the time, I had no idea what they were. I knew there was something there. I always wanted to be a "runner." Someone that could go run 10 miles on any given day. Many many years later (2009), I got inspired to run a 10K for a good cause. Half way through that training, I needed a bigger challenge. So I went for a half. 3 halves later this past year, I am going for a full in February. I have reached something that I always wanted. On any given day, I can go run 10 miles competitively.

I guess to sum up my point, unless you are running in an organized running event or a relay in a race, running is 100% and individual sport. I have learned just as much about myself with an individual sport than I did a team sport. There is no other teammate to pick up your slack, or help you along or motivate you. You are out there on a island. It is you against you (depending on what your goals are).

It's far more challenging to self motivate yourself to push and beat your last PR time or distance than have a strength or coach yelling at you to do the same. I learned that real quick.

When you are on a team, you dont want to let your teammates down. That helps you stay motivated. When you are running for you, then temptation and ease of slacking off or giving up is much greater and easier thus presenting a far greater challenge.

Hope this helps. :wave:

 

[Yoop33]

..but there was one thing always missing from them. My personal goals.

Well said my friend. I guess I do that with my weight lifting and golf and never really compared them to running. With heavy weight lifting,(not to be confused with weight training) it is solo. Always training to lift more, and if you drop it, there is not usually someone there to catch it. That is a big motivator in itself. But seeing that physical change in the body and knowing you can continue to grow and get stronger is an awesome feeling... A solo/ personal feeling...
I play golf too and I can see how running would compare as a personal goal sport...
But the main thing that doesnt click with me is the mental and physical pain involved with running.. The throwing up, dry heaving, cramping, post race syndrome, etc etc....
Can anyone explain why someone would want to intentionally do that to themselves?

 

[Main Street USA]

Jmax said it pretty well. For me it's about challenging myself to do something a little crazy. My longest is a half, but the feeling afterward is hard to explain. Pushing your body to it's absolute limit can be an amazing experience that most won't let themselves exeprience in their lifetime. I played organized sports my entire life, too, but nothing was ever as hard on me, physically or mentally, than running.

The "playing against yourself" definitely has some validity. I much prefer one on one sports, even though I played mostly team sports my entire life. In a one on one sport like tennis, for example, it's all on you. There's no one else to blame if something goes wrong, or depend on for something to go right. You get out of it what you personally put into it.

I wouldn't really put golf in the same category. It's a "compete against yourself" type of sport, but I wouldn't really call it a challenge. Mentally, it can be frustrating for most, but physically, it doesn't compare in the least.

 

[Donald Duck]

Us runners; there are a few screws loose upstairs in order for us to do what we do. It's all mental...the physical is just along for the ride.

 

[Donald Duck]

Oh, and also touching on what Joel said...I've NEVER been a team sports guy or have been someone who works well with others. "I don't do people..." *rips off Ace Ventura* So, running, is me, myself and I. No one there to carry me 20+ miles and no one to carry my rear-end back home.

 

[Donald Duck]

Well said my friend. I guess I do that with my weight lifting and golf and never really compared them to running. With heavy weight lifting,(not to be confused with weight training) it is solo. Always training to lift more, and if you drop it, there is not usually someone there to catch it. That is a big motivator in itself. But seeing that physical change in the body and knowing you can continue to grow and get stronger is an awesome feeling... A solo/ personal feeling...
I play golf too and I can see how running would compare as a personal goal sport...
But the main thing that doesnt click with me is the mental and physical pain involved with running.. The throwing up, dry heaving, cramping, post race syndrome, etc etc....
Can anyone explain why someone would want to intentionally do that to themselves?

You'll never understand until you do it...give it a try *peer pressure* :lookaroun

 

[joel_maxwell]

Well said my friend. I guess I do that with my weight lifting and golf and never really compared them to running. With heavy weight lifting,(not to be confused with weight training) it is solo. Always training to lift more, and if you drop it, there is not usually someone there to catch it. That is a big motivator in itself. But seeing that physical change in the body and knowing you can continue to grow and get stronger is an awesome feeling... A solo/ personal feeling...
I play golf too and I can see how running would compare as a personal goal sport...
But the main thing that doesnt click with me is the mental and physical pain involved with running.. The throwing up, dry heaving, cramping, post race syndrome, etc etc....
Can anyone explain why someone would want to intentionally do that to themselves?

I have never done this. I have a phobia of vomit. So, Im not going to involve myself in something that makes me do this. I have run and trained in the hottest part of the season here in Alabama and never once felt sick which is probably genetics. The only thing I get is that "lungs on fire" feeling like you just did suicides in the gym for basketball practice (i know you recall). With all the right precautions, and sometimes you cant avoid it, I have never had an GI or stomach cramping issues. Muscle soreness is about the worst part of it.

The overwhelming feeling of accomplishment at a finish line makes me cry just a bit. Just for that split second, my eyes water a little and it is all in perspective. Especially when you push and train to inprove from 1 half to the next and you shave 4min & 30 seconds off your time.

Jmax said it pretty well. For me it's about challenging myself to do something a little crazy. My longest is a half, but the feeling afterward is hard to explain. Pushing your body to it's absolute limit can be an amazing experience that most won't let themselves exeprience in their lifetime. I played organized sports my entire life, too, but nothing was ever as hard on me, physically or mentally, than running.

The "playing against yourself" definitely has some validity. I much prefer one on one sports, even though I played mostly team sports my entire life. In a one on one sport like tennis, for example, it's all on you. There's no one else to blame if something goes wrong, or depend on for something to go right. You get out of it what you personally put into it.

I wouldn't really put golf in the same category. It's a "compete against yourself" type of sport, but I wouldn't really call it a challenge. Mentally, it can be frustrating for most, but physically, it doesn't compare in the least.

To me, golf is more a skill sport and not a physical sport. You dont have to be in good shape to play it and be good. Obviously, you being in shape helps your game, but if John Daly's fat ______ back in the day can win on the tour..... nuff said. It is a mental sport, but nothing compared to running (apples and oranges).

The beauty of running is that the only skill involved is drive, determination and heart. Anyone and everyone has this. Anyone can do what we do. Not everyone can be good at many other sports that require skill and talent.

[/B]

You'll never understand until you do it...give it a try *peer pressure* :lookaroun

Love it!

 

[Master Yoda]

I wish I could help you Yoop but I am in your camp. I just do not like running. One of the things I like about playing sports was the mental zone out I would get. When I am working out with kettle bells, mountain biking, etc all I am thinking about is what I am doing. Thoughts of my honey do list, my job, etc never enter into my head and it gives my brain a chance to take some time off. When I am running all I do is think about those annoyances in life that I really need a break from.

 

[joel_maxwell]

I wish I could help you Yoop but I am in your camp. I just do not like running. One of the things I like about playing sports was the mental zone out I would get. When I am working out with kettle bells, mountain biking, etc all I am thinking about is what I am doing. Thoughts of my honey do list, my job, etc never enter into my head and it gives my brain a chance to take some time off. When I am running all I do is think about those annoyances in life that I really need a break from.

I love the solitude of it. I dont like running with others. That oresents a small amount of anxiety during the being of races, but by mile 1, im over it. I liek to think and sort of out all my thoughts in the early stages of mileage. By the end, my mind is clear and all I think about is positive experiences that are coming up (vacations, trips to the park, Sam and Isabeau etc). It is a mental break from fatherhood and my 2 dogs that are more maintenance than my child.

I completely respect your position on it though and can relate.

 

[lukacseven]

What I am trying to ask is, What does one get out of it? I understand there is a great sense of accompishment in doing something not many others can do. But take a team sport like Basketball since you asked. It is a sense of being a part of something bigger then yourself. Having that brotherhood and knowing you can rely on someone or a team to have your back at all times and at all costs. Its the sense of working hard together to be more dominant that the other team and nothing is more pleasing than a Team Victory!

Im not trying to push any buttons here... I am genuinly asking. I have grown to appreciate the work my girlfrien puts in and will be going to Space Coast and Boston with her. I am intrigued to know more about the sport but just dont truely understand

As a former college athlete who has also played at levels beyond college, I've found that I could no longer compete at that high level becuase of not only wear & tear on my body, but becuase of the committment it takes to practice. With running, I found I could train on my own time and be more flexible and while there are thousnads of other runners out there during a race, I can race against my own personal goals. Even though you're not competing as a team (you can do relays in some races) there is a definite comradery among runners. I usually travel to races with some firends family - they are like my team. You can also join running clubs.

For me, it's so much the accomplishment of finishing, but the experience of the race itself. You get the same "high" at the start as you do running out of the tunnel onto a field or you feed off a cheering crowd the same way you do in a team sport. Try it sometime.

 

[joel_maxwell]

As a former college athlete who has also played at levels beyond college, I've found that I could no longer compete at that high level becuase of not only wear & tear on my body, but becuase of the committment it takes to practice. With running, I found I could train on my own time and be more flexible and while there are thousnads of other runners out there during a race, I can race against my own personal goals. Even though you're not competing as a team (you can do relays in some races) there is a definite comradery among runners. I usually travel to races with some firends family - they are like my team. You can also join running clubs.

For me, it's so much the accomplishment of finishing, but the experience of the race itself. You get the same "high" at the start as you do running out of the tunnel onto a field or you feed off a cheering crowd the same way you do in a team sport. Try it sometime.

Amen. That is a bonus, especially with kids at home.

I was never a vocal guy. You know the guy before games that yell and talk smack etc. I was the guy in the corner so zoned to what I needed to do, I didnt and couldnt stray from that. I would never mentally recover to get my head in the game if I was horsing around before hand. Same with races and race day and running days when I get up or right before a run. I have loads of fun doing all this, but at the same time, I am one of those guys that is focused on the task at hand. A lot of people around me are laughing and having a blast talking etc and that is perfectly fine. I am head down, going through my mental checks so I can beat that last time.

One day, I wont be worried about time and Ill just be out there to run and take in the scenery. Until then...

 

[Eeyore]

But the main thing that doesnt click with me is the mental and physical pain involved with running.. The throwing up, dry heaving, cramping, post race syndrome, etc etc....
Can anyone explain why someone would want to intentionally do that to themselves?

I have to say that I find the opposite to be true- running makes me feel great. It clears my head and I have very little to no pain at all while I'm running. For me its very relaxing and I feel great after, maybe a little muscle soreness the next day. I'm much newer at running than most of the folks here though, my longest run to date has been 9.5 miles. 11 miles this weekend!

 

[Yoop33]

I wish I could help you Yoop but I am in your camp. I just do not like running. One of the things I like about playing sports was the mental zone out I would get. When I am working out with kettle bells, mountain biking, etc all I am thinking about is what I am doing. Thoughts of my honey do list, my job, etc never enter into my head and it gives my brain a chance to take some time off. When I am running all I do is think about those annoyances in life that I really need a break from.

Completely agree. When playing sports or working out I dont hear or see anything other than what I am involved with at that moment. Often times when I work out I will stay longer than needed because I find it extremely therapeutic right down to the steam room. When I would warm up running on a treadmill (which I know is completely different than running outside), I too will think about the nonsense and cant wait to get off!!! Now I warm up by shooting around and trying to tear the rim off the backboard.
I think I would honestly like trying something new like running but my body too has taken a toll. Torn Achilles Tendon, broken bones, and too many sprains and bruises to count. I dont know how I would hold up, granted I am not competing against those 6'10 260lbs monster like I used to. lol

With that said... Im off to the gym

 

[dreamfinder]

I ask the same thing about the guys at the gym who grunt and groan while lifting up hundred pound chunks of metal. What is the point? I understand doing light weights to keep in shape, the same way most people understand running a mile or two. But the veins popping, my arms can't go flat againt my body cause of my pipes, lifting 400 lbs guys? (And girls I guess) Kind of the same thing. A personal satisfaction from knowing I just did that, pretty much all by myself. And it feels good. That same rush you get from beating that unbeatable team in hoops? Runners can get it by setting a new PR, or running a new distance. And just like any other high, you end up pushing yourself a bit more each time to get it again and again. So what started off as a 28 minute 5k, ends up becoming a 20 minute 5k, or a 2 hr half marathon, etc...

 

[joel_maxwell]

I have to say that I find the opposite to be true- running makes me feel great. It clears my head and I have very little to no pain at all while I'm running. For me its very relaxing and I feel great after, maybe a little muscle soreness the next day. I'm much newer at running than most of the folks here though, my longest run to date has been 9.5 miles. 11 miles this weekend!

WOW! Way to go. Congrats.

 

[Phonedave]

But the main thing that doesnt click with me is the mental and physical pain involved with running.. The throwing up, dry heaving, cramping, post race syndrome, etc etc....
Can anyone explain why someone would want to intentionally do that to themselves?

I don't throw up, I don't dry heave, I don't cramp.

I have at times become lightheaded - but that is my own stupid fault (I tend to not drink enough)

I do run with pain, my right knee is my nemesis. But that is part of why I LIKE running. Sitting on the couch with a beer and a bag of chips and watching the Giants game is something I LOVE to do. But when it's over, there is no sense of self satisfaction.

When I run, and my knee aches, but I keep going to push out that last 3 or 4 miles, that when I have a sense of self satisfaction.

As far as mental pain, that is a HUGE part of it. Distance running is a large part mental. It's not mental pain, but mental TRAINING. As others have said, it clears their mind. I get into the 'Zen Zone' when I run. I ran the other night, in the abandoned park, in the dark, with my eyes mostly closed - EXCELLENT. Minimal external influences. Just the feeling of running and nothing else. As I zoned out, thats ALL it became, running and nothing else. Your whole existance shrinks to the moment at hand. Now I am know I am getting all Zen and wacky for many here, but that's one of the things I love about running.

-dave

 

[Master Yoda]

I don't throw up, I don't dry heave, I don't cramp.

I have at times become lightheaded - but that is my own stupid fault (I tend to not drink enough)

I do run with pain, my right knee is my nemesis. But that is part of why I LIKE running. Sitting on the couch with a beer and a bag of chips and watching the Giants game is something I LOVE to do. But when it's over, there is no sense of self satisfaction.

When I run, and my knee aches, but I keep going to push out that last 3 or 4 miles, that when I have a sense of self satisfaction.

As far as mental pain, that is a HUGE part of it. Distance running is a large part mental. It's not mental pain, but mental TRAINING. As others have said, it clears their mind. I get into the 'Zen Zone' when I run. I ran the other night, in the abandoned park, in the dark, with my eyes mostly closed - EXCELLENT. Minimal external influences. Just the feeling of running and nothing else. As I zoned out, thats ALL it became, running and nothing else. Your whole existance shrinks to the moment at hand. Now I am know I am getting all Zen and wacky for many here, but that's one of the things I love about running.

-dave

Especially after that last game against the Cowboy's. *ducks*
:lol: