“Why I Run” by Ian Johnston

I write this blog post having not been able run in over two weeks…

The short answer to the question is to be fit and healthy. However, I have suffered through some low back issues lately, and thus been forced to keep the Brooks in the closet.

The longer version has changed throughout the years but at the end of the day I think of running as a very selfish pursuit. It’s selfish in the sense that I am trying to accomplish something. I am trying to run a certain distance, I am trying to clear my head before or after a long day of work. It can mean so many different things to me, just depending on the day and time, but in the end, it’s all about me! Selfish, but I like to think of it as selfish in a good way.

Personally, I see health and fitness as a key portion in a circle that is my day to day life. It is also a major contributor to my overall mood and happiness. This circle is comprised of mainly six factors: Family, Diet, Exercise, Friends, Work, and Everything Else. These factors each contribute to how I feel every single day. Each factor has it own importance and significant contributions to the whole circle. If one factor under performs or perhaps takes too much time or energy, it can throw things out of whack. All work and no play will drive me crazy!!! My daily goal is to keep all these factors in balance and the great part about exercising and running specifically is that typically, the more you do it, the better the results. (Of course you can certainly overtrain and do your body damage, but I am talking more about a routine or regular exercise, in general terms)

So keeping in check my little circle of balance, running accomplishes a lot. It can cancel out a long day at work, a quick 3 mile reset button if you will. It can act as an alarm clock to wake my body up, and make sure I am firing on cylinders. It can allow me to get outside and spend time with my wife. And yeah, it can even make sure my pants still fit after a bunch of beers and chicken wings. Sometimes I don’t run as much as I would like to, and sometimes my back aches, so I opt to go for a bike ride. Sometimes those back aches push me in the direction of yoga or other exercise to ensure I don’t have to deal with the same issue again. But regardless, I know running is always available, and always there to keep the balance. Plain and simple, I feel lucky when I have the chance to run because it can do so much for me, mentally, and physically.

Cheers,

The High Five Guy

About the Author: Ian Johnston

Along with being the “The High Five Guy”, Ian enjoys being outside and pursuing an active and healthy lifestyle. He lives with his wife and golden retriever in Federal Hill.