Reasons to Run

There’s no bad reason to run.

But if you’re like me, the reasons not to run have a sneaky way of creeping in. It’s too hot. I’m tired. There’s work to do. Tomorrow sounds better.

So here are three go-to reminders I lean on when I just don’t want to lace up the shoes or pick up the weights:

1. I run because I can — and one day, I might not be able to.
My 55-year-old boss tells stories about how he used to be in shape. He used to lift, run, hike, move. But now? He works too much. He’s out of shape. He talks about getting back into it, but I can tell it’s slipping further and further away.

Every time I hear him speak, it’s a wake-up call.
Don’t push this off. Don’t wait. It does not get easier with age. But right now, today — I still can.

2. I run because I can control it.
Most of my day? Out of my hands. Unexpected texts. Last-minute meetings. Life.

But this? This is mine.
I can choose to run. I can choose to lift. I can choose to show up for myself.

It doesn’t have to be fast. It doesn’t have to be long. It just has to happen.
This one thing — done consistently — becomes a quiet kind of strength. A habit that belongs to me, not for anyone else.

3. I run to suffer just a little — and hear from God.
This one’s personal.

When I run, I get quiet. I get uncomfortable. And in that space, I feel closer to God.
Not always — but often enough that I notice it.

I might not always pray in the morning or open my Bible at night. But out there, on mile two or mile five, something happens. I find myself talking to Him. Asking. Thanking. Listening. Thinking about the people I love.

It’s suffering, sure. But it’s sacred, too.

These are the things that keep me going. Not times or medals or miles. Just reminders.

So now I’m curious —
Why do you keep running?

Hit reply. Let me know. I’d love to hear it.

—
Griffin