Hi. My name is Ryan Curtis. I'm a runner. I have a passion for running. Running is something everyone can do regardless of athletic ability or fitness level. Whether you run 1/4 mile or a marathon it can bring equal fulfillment to one who is reaching their goal. That's why, in my opinion, so many people are passionate about running. That's why I am.
When you become a "runner" you join an unspoken society, connecting you to millions of people around the world. The purpose of this blog is to bring this passionate fellowship together and give us a place to voice our passion and inspire others. And maybe along the way we can convince some who haven't joined the ranks yet to join our banner cause.
Some of my favorite memories and greatest friends have come from my associations with other runners. One thing I've noticed in my observations of this unique group is, we all run for different reasons. What inspires me to get up at 6:00 am to run 6 miles before breakfast is completely different from what inspires the guy I run with to get up and come with me.
Runners all share a passion, but the root of that passion comes in many different forms. This is a blog about where that passion comes from. I plan to share my thoughts and ideas, but my real hope is that you will share yours. At the bottom of each post you will find my email address with a plea for you to share your story with me. I hope that anyone who reads this will share with the rest of us the story of why you run.
Here's mine:
In high school I ran a lot because I played soccer. I didn't mind running, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it either. I ran because I knew it would make me a better player. It wasn't until after I graduated, and my opportunities to play competitive soccer diminished, that I found a true passion for running.
I returned home from an LDS mission on June 19, 2012. While I was gone my mom had signed me up for a 5k to be held on June 23, 2012. I had spent two years living near the coast, in the Philadelphia area, and I had to come home to the mountains, a mile above sea-level and train for a race in 4 days. Not an easy task. My first run the day after I got home ended about 15 minutes after it started. I had gone less than a mile and half and was completely winded and cramped up. Luckily for me I was able to slow-shuffle my way home. The next day I did a little better and I decided I was ready for the race.
As an athlete, I am very much inspired by competition, so on the day of the race I pushed my body further than it should have been able to go. I ended up placing 3rd overall, 4 days after coming home to Utah! That day I decided I liked running, and I was good at it. That was what started to fuel my fire. After many more hours of running, enjoying the scenery, pushing my body, relishing in the competition, clearing my head and building friendships I now have quite a list put together under the title, "Why I run."
It was the initial adrenaline that got me started, but it is the comprehensive beauty of the task that keeps me going. If I had to summarize why I run into one sentence I would say: it makes me a better person than I would be if I didn't run. I don't mean to say that one who doesn't run is less of a person. I mean for me personally, I feel that I am a better person because of what running gives me. That is what I intend to explain in the weeks to come, and what I hope you will help me explain by sharing your story with us.
This blog is not just for you to read and smile at my ideas. This is a blog for you to share why you love running. Maybe you just started and you really don't enjoy it. Maybe you have done it your whole life and love it. Maybe you endure it just to stay in shape. Maybe you do it for the love of competition. Maybe you don't run and are reading this blog to see why in the world anyone would want to put themselves through that, we want to hear from you too! Whatever your running story is, please share it with me and with the world. Running is what unites us, our stories are what make us unique. So... why do you run?
Send your story to whyyourun@gmail.com
Run! I run because I am addicted. I started running in December of 2011 because a friend made fun of my football playing skills saying I couldn't run away from anyone, he challenged me to run with him. I took the challenge and never turned back. I started running 3 miles doing the Galloway method of running three minutes and then walking one minute. Since then I have switched to pure running. I run over 30 miles a week and have completed three marathons. I started to stay healthy, but now it is a total obsession.
ReplyDelete