Why We Run…

Here at Sneaker Factory we are beyond excited to announce that our first Hot Chocolate Winter Series was a huge success!! Mother Nature lent us a huge hand in the making of a great day. We would like to thank everyone who came out and raced or supported. It was a great turn out and a wonderful day! We cannot wait for this Saturday! Here is the picture of group runner and eventual winner of the 5k, “Boston” Mike Metlitz. As you can see by the blue skies behind him, it was truly a beautiful February day. As the festivities died down and I was going through the pictures of the day posting a few here and there to friends on Facebook, I thought… this is why we run. It is the little bit of everything that running brings to our lives. It is the getting up early on a Saturday, no matter how cold it is outside. It’s meeting other runners with eager smiles waiting to register for the day’s race. It’s pinning your number to your favorite race shirt while others pace nervously around you trying to keep their limbs loose. It is knowing that everyone is going through the same eager anticipation for the start of the race. It’s the race itself, the starting line, the finish line, the in-between, wondering ‘how many more miles is this thing going to go on for’. It is the after party, in our case the hot chocolate and bagels, and waiting for the race results. We run for the congratulations, and the pat on the back and stories of your favorite parts. It is the section we thought we might not make it and the moment we knew we would. It is the blood, the sweat, the tears and the burgers and beer. Yeah, that is why we run.

But racing isn’t the only reason we run. There are millions of  reasons. For your entertainment, I will list a few:

Awesome running shoes…

(In stores now.)

Training partners, that will be by your side even when it is 10 degrees outside with wind speeds of 30 mph…

(Or 50 degrees and sunny.)

Rewarding yourself after a long run with that junk food you so diligently avoid the rest of the week…

Beautiful days…

Being able to brag about enduring bad weather days…

Group runs…

After parties…

Cute running outfits…

 

And the best reason of all… Feeling good about yourself.

There are too many reasons to list why each and every one of us run. Some are very personal and some are to take the place of something else. I first started running after College. I had quit smoking my senior year and I was ready to get back into the shape I had once been in. Now I run to do all the things listed above, and to feed the kid inside of me that loves getting dirty… Yeah I run through the mud on purpose. Whatever.

 

So… Why do YOU run?