Maybe it’s just me, but among my non running/triathlon friends, I’m considered a little crazy for various reasons.   They don’t understand my drive to run in the cold.   They don’t understand how I really make sure that my workouts are actually scheduled into my daily routine.  (Ok, not last week; but most weeks.)    They don’t understand how I think it’s fun to get up before the sun to go run a race even if I get a shiny medal.   Well I will let you in on a little secret, I haven’t the foggiest idea either!

There I said it.   It’s true.   I am not sure what is driving me.   I, as many of my friends, could exercise “like a normal person” to be healthy.    There is no need to train for 25 minute 5K’s or 2 hour half marathons or run a marathon either.  (ok, I really don’t mean that:)   I’m a middle of the packer anyway.   I’m not getting paid for these things.   If anything, I am loosing money, but don’t tell my husband.    That being said, I’m not backing down.   I’m, hopefully, not slowing down either.    I can’t explain why I do the things that I do, but I know that these things make me happy.   So maybe that is the simplest solution.   I do the things that I do to because they make me happy.

I know that I am not alone in my craziness which does make it easier to dive into it.   It is like a cult where we do line up to drink the Kool aid.   We can’t help ourselves as it does taste so good.   There is safety in numbers as the saying goes.   One person posts a race they are thinking of doing.   We not only all chime in “that’s awesome,” but “that sounds like fun so I’m going to sign up too!”  Who knows maybe peer pressure doesn’t really end in high school like we like to think.    But this is a good peer pressure!   Not that I really think that is why we do these things.   No amount of peer pressure is going to make someone run 13.2 miles just because.   They have to want to do.  Truth.

A little determination in life to get moving is good anyway.   Determination will keep you moving forward and not allow you to get stagnate.   It is very easy to get bored with same workout routine or any routine  for that matter.  That is the beauty of all these races.   Even if you run the same race two years in a row, it is different.   Just like every run is different.   Yes the routes may be the same; but attitude, weather, and the your body will run it is different.   That is the beauty of what we do.   To others it may look like we are doing the same thing day in and day out, but we know the truth. Each run is different.   Each swim is different.   Each workout is different.   It is never the same thing twice.   It is never easy, but it is always worth it.