Why I Run

Those of you close to me know that I’m training for a marathon. And for those that don’t - you guessed it - I’m training for a marathon!

So why in the world would I choose to run a marathon? Well, I’ve been a runner off and on my whole life. I think it all truly started when I saw my dad run his first marathon some 20 years ago. After seeing that, it prompted me to get out there and try it myself. For 4 or 5 years (I was around 8 or 9 when I started), I ran several miles a week with the peak of my running coming on the 24th of July for the annual 10K held in downtown Salt Lake City. The last year I ran I posted a 42:17 (going off memory here so the seconds may be off a bit). I believe I was 13 at the time.

Our family ended up moving in April of the following year and I didn’t do as much training. Then in July I fell some 30 feet out of a tree. I had a major concussion, broke my collar bone and first four ribs, punctured a lung and had to have my ear sewn back on. All in a days work! From that point on though, I stopped running. I stayed somewhat active by playing basketball and soccer for a few more years, played some ice hockey in high school, but never got back into running.

Fast forward 10 years or so… Coming off a 6 year addiction, I knew that I had an addictive personality (ya think?!). The best way to combat it was by finding something healthy that I could become addicted to. I tried writing, picking up my guitar again, hiking, hunting, and even tried picking up some side jobs too. I didn’t become “addicted" to any of it, though. I love each of those things still to this day, but running has been the only thing that’s physically triggered an addiction (although my wife will tell you that personal finance is an addiction for me too).

So there are my reasons behind distance running. In the future I’m hoping I’ll be able to add more distance to my resume, but first I gotta make it through 26.2. And I’m excited about it!

Now the reason for this blog is to keep myself accountable. I might share a story or two about other aspects of my life, but I have to track my progress and account for it and that's what I'm here to do. What better way of doing it than by telling the whole world how I’m doing! Can't be much more accountable than that, now can I?!