Just imagine how much easier life would be if you didn’t run.  I didn’t say better, I just said easier.  I had this thought Sunday morning before my long run.  I was standing in my kitchen, in the dark, alone, eating a newly toasted/recently frozen blueberry waffle.  On Saturday we had our first outdoor track meet of the season and I was exhausted.  My wife was sleeping, the bed was warm, the sun was still down, and there I was munching on a mediocre and slightly under-warmed breakfast treat.

I don’t mean to come across as complaining, it is just an interesting element of our lifestyles as endurance athletes.  Think about all of the parts of life that we “miss” out on, that non-runners embrace.  Obviously this list is dependent upon the person and I would never presume to create a collection of these that applies to everyone, or anyone for that matter.  I can’t count the number of times people have tried to convince me to stay out later or have said just don’ run, one day is not going to kill you.  I have no idea what is in my (our?) personality that compels runners to make these sacrifices in life.  Because in the process of recovering from an injury or peaking for a big race, we DO miss out on some things that are very enjoyable in the brief time that we have available to us.

I look with some, okay maybe lots of, envy at people who have the time or lifestyle to travel to races, train, take care of themselves for peak performance, essentially get the most of whatever their bodies and mind and spirit have to offer. I had my time to do that, I wish I would have taken more advantage of it.  Put another way, “If I only knew then what I know now”.  At this point in my life I am in full on teaching, coaching, daddying, and at the wee hours of the morning, running mode.  I am okay with that.  I just approach every run with the intent of getting what I can out of the miles.  Even if the run is “just” miles.

One of the enticing traits that running has is that it is open to all.  But there are people who say they run and there are people who are runners.  People who are runners seek to improve their performances and be a part of something bigger than just another part of your workout routine.  Making those sacrifices to self-improvement is part of what makes running, running.  It seems that runners take delight in giving up some of the niceties of life.  It also allows many of us to take great delights when we do indulge as we truly enjoy the times that we slip-up a bit.

Not making sacrifices to achieve something misses out on one of the uniquely satisfying emotions in our life.  That is the emotion of achievement.  This emotion is a summary of the work and stubbornness and sacrifice and progress and camaraderie that automatically weeds out a large  part of our population.  Maybe some of this is rationalization for eating my waffle at 530 in the morning.  But it is also possible that humanity would be better off if more people sought achievement in their lives.  Then again, that would take sacrifice.