Run for the Sake of Running

I have been running for over 10 years and have never entered a race.  There have been a few that I came close to entering, but due to scheduling, injury or everyday life, I just wasn’t able to do it.  In early March there is a race in a nearby city that I am seriously thinking of running.  The scenery would be amazing, and I think it would be awesome to be surrounded by so many runners.  Plus, my wife said she would greet me at the finish line.

In theory it all sounds wonderful, but I still find myself vacillating.  I like to run, but I don’t want to exert a lot of energy to train for a race.  I have no desire to create a rigid running schedule; I run when I can and I run as far as I want to.  I go based on how I am feeling at that particular moment, not what a schedule tells me.  I run to stay healthy and fit so that I can keep up with my kids. 

Running is my escape. It relaxes me at the end of a long day or gets me ready for the upcoming day.  Most mornings, I wake up before 5am to get ready for work, eat breakfast with the kids and leave the house at 6am.  When I return home at about 5pm, I help my wife with the kids’ dinner, bath and bed.  When I’m finally able to go out for a run, I definitely don’t want to be tied down to any kind of schedule!  I just want to out and run as freely as possible. 

So you see my dilemma.  I really want to experience the excitement and the camaraderie of running in a race, but I struggle with making the commitment.  Last year, on the day of the race I almost ran in, it rained all morning long.  People got soaked; shoes got muddy and wet.  I ran later in the day when the weather cleared up and finished nice and dry.  I guess only time will tell.