While volunteering for the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon, and seeing runner after runner desperately reach for water, I wondered this very question—“why do we run?”

Why do we do the very thing that is considered punishment for many athletes for our own pleasure?

Why, despite the blisters and the stitches and the aches, do we start that Strava run?

Why do we get on that starting line, knowing that in a few minutes, you’ll be wishing you didn’t?

To be honest, I wish I had an answer.

In more ways than one, running humbles you. It humbles you when you realize that all the pain is caused by simply putting one foot in front of the other. 

But I guess that’s what I like about running—the simplicity.

Out there, it’s just you and your running shoes. Sure, you could invest in the newest Nike ZoomX VaporFly and the Mojave Run Plus Sports Headphones, but by no means do you have to to start running. Anybody can run(mostly). 

Sometimes though, I do regret getting myself into this. Like during this run, for example. 

PC: my strava