why we run?

[robinette7]

I'm sure everyone has asked theirself this question from time to time and like Mr. DeRosa said prior to the start of Katies Run. "There is some kind of reason for everyone why your are running today. Run for that reason, be safe, be careful, and enjoy. After the gun went off I pretty much thought that I was there to run with my youngest son and to get him into the many reasons why we run. Little did I know how much would change the next 3.1 mi. Yes, we can all say we run for the exercise, fitness, or competition but, I feel the reasons go way deeper than those. Back to Katies Run. My son started out the first mile faster than I expected. He started slowing down but, I could not change the pace. So I told him "Buddy, your on your own, follow the people in front of you. At the beginning of the hill is where I passed Mrs. DeRosa. I felt kind of bad because I could only imagine her reasons of running that day but, the pain from the hill took my guilt away. Then as I slowly crawled up the hill, I caught up with Mr. DeRosa. He pushed me up that mountain mentally. When we hit the flat my pain went away and my guilt came back. As him and I ran briefly together I was thinking of what he said before the race. I wanted to ask him so bad this question. "Do you think Katie just saw you help this clydesdale up that hill." Mr. DeRosa did not say alot but, his brief comments were very encouraging. The last he said to me was "This is where the down hill starts." I must have given him a sigh of relief or some sort of expression because he begin to chuckle. After he laughed my guilt went away and I felt a comfort through my pain. As I crossed the finish line I met up with my wife and asked her how she felt. She replied "I was trying to catch you but, I didn't have it in me. I ran with Mrs. DeRosa and talked about Katie." I thought that was so ironic. I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. DeRosa for giving us more reasons to run but, I want to especially thank Katie, not just for the reasons but, for the feelings deep down inside. I never knew Katie but, I felt her presence on that hill Saturday morning. We run for many reasons but, the feelings we get from our reasons are only unexplainable.

P.S. I love the redesigned course for Katie's Run @ New Germany

[frojoe23]

Wow - that was an absolutely fantastic post and I don't know if I can follow it up with any kind of significance, but I will try.

I really can't explain why I run - most of the time I actually have a bit of a hatred for it. Sounds funny to say that especially if I can put in 120 mile weeks, but sometimes I just despise it, but then when I take downtime, I can't even last a week without wanting to run - so deep down inside there is a love for moving through space under your own power.

Part of it, I'm sure, is because it is the only thing that I really excel at. I think that I probably must have a competitive nature, but only when it comes to running. I'm not really that concerned with winning at anything else. It seems that everytime I need "fuel" to keep training, I find a new goal, whether it is running a certain time, or winning a certain race or beating somebody I have never beat, something always seems to fuel the training.

However, I have noticed that if I really have a good stretch of running for a couple of months, I begin to get disinterested in it. Not just my own running. I won't go to any running websites for a while, I won't go to any races.

I have to say that I owe a lot to Katie's race for the success that I have had. When I was about to start my junior year at Beall, Katie was going to be joining the cross--country team that fall. I believe we were only 3 days away from the first day of practice. I was on vacation and missed the funeral, and came back to find that Ed Taylor was going to be our coach for the season instead of Norm. I really liked Ed, but my running never took off that year. Lots of other kids had success (Ryan Foster was 5th at the state meet in his first year of cross), but I just wasn't feeling it. My dad has always thought that my last two years of running in high school were not the best they could've been because of losing Katie. I don't know if that is true - I didn't know her that well.

What I do know is that after high school, I stopped running completely. I did help out with the indoor team during my freshman year, so I did a little running. Two summers after high school, I decided to go to Katie's Race and watch some friends run it. Well, standing there and watching everybody warm-up just got me itching to race. I hadn't done it in like 14 months, but it seemed like my body just wanted to try again.

I ended up running it in some nice worn out street shoes and finished in 5th place. Somehow, I bettered my high school pr even though I hadn't been doing anything. From there, I thought that I had better give this one last try. Every couple of days, I went a little more or a little faster. I decided that my next race would be the Moonshine 10k - a distance I had never raced before. I grabbed third. At the awards, they made a remark about how they should have already engraved the winners name on the awards. That made me want to win this race the following year and that became my new goal. From there, I set new goals and chased them as best as I could (win the GAR, win Iron Furnace, get back in shape, run a marathon).

Of course, now I have some new goals that I'm chasing after. The payoff isn't always there, but I'll keep chasing them and I guess that is why I run - to see how far I can go. No matter if I reach my goals or not, I think that when I'm done I'll be satisfied, but to keep running day after day, I can't be satisfied at all!

[robinette5]

I think for me there is several reasons why i run, and why I keep running. I think I run for two main reasons...for the health of it, and for my children. I look around and see how life continues to change, and how technology just consumes so many of us including our children. I remember a time of growing up and being outside, "running" around was the thing to do, however, now you go down the street, and everyone is indoors playing X-Box etc. or using their cell phones to text someone. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not against cell phones or video games, however, times have truly changed and so has the life styles of many people.

I want to stay healthy, and I want to see my children grow up. For me, running helps maintain my physical condition, as well as my mental state. When I ran in the Katie's Run on Saturday, I had the opportunity to run with Mrs. DeRosa, and she also introduced me to her son, and her husband. As we ran together, I informed Mrs. DeRosa that I could not even begin to imagine how she felt. She told me that it was difficult to talk about, however, as we continued to run she told me that she had taken Katie to get her physical that morning, and Katie told her Mom that she wanted to make a difference in someone's life. Mrs. DeRosa told me that although Katie did not make a difference directly, the family was able to make one for her...I told Mrs. DeRosa that Katie did make a difference, as Katie was part of God's plan; it was the reason at that moment I was running the race. I also was thinking to myself, there are several other people in this world that have a chance at a better life, as Katie was an organ donor. I enjoyed that moment speaking with Mrs. DeRosa, as I felt at peace within myself, and thankful to have the opportunity to speak with her. I do think about this child when I run in a race, and maybe part of me is running for her too.

I love to run, especially with my family. I enjoy the sport of running, and I'm thankful for the QCStriders organization!

[777k]

Robinette's your the best! God Bless the DeRosa family. I run because it reminds me of the ultimate race that is set before us. A race that you don't won't to be out of shape for. A race you don't won't to be late to. A race you want to register for as early as possible.{TODAY} The cost is your life. no teeshirt, but you are guaranteed a place at the finish line. {HEAVEN} ISAIAH 39,28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord,The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Ask Jesus to come into your heart today and keep on running!!! Now you know the secret to my training!!! See you at the finish line Katie. And that is all I have to say.
Wildman

[nd]

Hey Guys, Thanks for sharing. Sorry it took soo long to resp to these posts ... I don't check the board very often, and this was told to me by a friend ... You guys blow me away with your care and compassion. The thing is that we do make a difference everyday somehow in somebody's life - We must strive to make that difference a good one. We are often unaware of how our actions form an impression on others ... Sometimes what we think of as a casual encounter is very significant to others.
As Jim Valvano said so emotionally, " A complete day is when you can Laugh - Love - and Cry" ... This is why we run. God Speed