"Because I can" is a phrase that I mentioned in yesterday's blog entry, and it is a wonderful thing to be able to say.
Does it need to be tempered? Of course. It needs to be tempered with a moral compass. It needs to be tempered with a sense of what can be balanced in my life. It needs to be tempered by a lot of things.
But when it comes to running that is part of my exercise routine (as long it does not interfere with work and family), it is an absolutely great thing to be able to say.
I run--because I can.
I run a great distance--because I can.
I run relatively (and it is all relative after all) fast--because I can.
I cross the finish line--because I can.
I run races--because I can.
I train for very long distance races--because I can.
Is it always best to run as far as I can or as hard and fast as I can? Just about every assessment of training that I have ever read says "no". Does that change my behavior? A little.
I will occasionally take a day off.
If there are days on which my body really only can go at a slower pace, I don't stress any more.
And if a race isn't perfect--I've had enough good races that I may fuss about money spent to register for a race that didn't go so well, but I don't really worry about it any more. Still, that doesn't prevent the butterflies before each race that I mentioned yesterday.
But the "because I can" attitude makes the end of each run great. And it means that I can continue to set goals around how fast and how far and not just "let me get out and see what I can do." It helps to give me a sense of why I run.
Not everyone needs to have goals about times and distances and races. Some people can just enjoy running for the sake of running. I admire those people.
Not everyone needs to build a social life around their running. I admire those people as well, and I personally have a mixture of social and individual experiences while running that is just fine.
Not everyone who runs needs to run to feel like they are fulfilled in life. That is fine. But that is not me.
Are all my characteristics the right ones? For me--yes. For everyone else--I'll leave that for everyone else to decide.
What I focus on is the fact that everyone probably has a "because I can" thing for themselves. Something that they do and when asked why they simply answer "because I can". I haven't asked others about this. But I do wonder how much each person gets from something like this. And whether each person feels that the "because I can" activity helps them to be the best person they can be. Certainly my running helps me be the best me that I can be.
And if someday I can't, then I am sure that at first I will be disappointed. And right now I cannot imagine not being able to say that I am running because I can.
But I am adaptable and I will find a new activity if and when that time ever comes that helps to continue to define who I am, help me achieve self actualization, and move ahead. And why is that?
Because I can.
Does it need to be tempered? Of course. It needs to be tempered with a moral compass. It needs to be tempered with a sense of what can be balanced in my life. It needs to be tempered by a lot of things.
But when it comes to running that is part of my exercise routine (as long it does not interfere with work and family), it is an absolutely great thing to be able to say.
I run--because I can.
I run a great distance--because I can.
I run relatively (and it is all relative after all) fast--because I can.
I cross the finish line--because I can.
I run races--because I can.
I train for very long distance races--because I can.
Is it always best to run as far as I can or as hard and fast as I can? Just about every assessment of training that I have ever read says "no". Does that change my behavior? A little.
I will occasionally take a day off.
If there are days on which my body really only can go at a slower pace, I don't stress any more.
And if a race isn't perfect--I've had enough good races that I may fuss about money spent to register for a race that didn't go so well, but I don't really worry about it any more. Still, that doesn't prevent the butterflies before each race that I mentioned yesterday.
But the "because I can" attitude makes the end of each run great. And it means that I can continue to set goals around how fast and how far and not just "let me get out and see what I can do." It helps to give me a sense of why I run.
Not everyone needs to have goals about times and distances and races. Some people can just enjoy running for the sake of running. I admire those people.
Not everyone needs to build a social life around their running. I admire those people as well, and I personally have a mixture of social and individual experiences while running that is just fine.
Not everyone who runs needs to run to feel like they are fulfilled in life. That is fine. But that is not me.
Are all my characteristics the right ones? For me--yes. For everyone else--I'll leave that for everyone else to decide.
What I focus on is the fact that everyone probably has a "because I can" thing for themselves. Something that they do and when asked why they simply answer "because I can". I haven't asked others about this. But I do wonder how much each person gets from something like this. And whether each person feels that the "because I can" activity helps them to be the best person they can be. Certainly my running helps me be the best me that I can be.
And if someday I can't, then I am sure that at first I will be disappointed. And right now I cannot imagine not being able to say that I am running because I can.
But I am adaptable and I will find a new activity if and when that time ever comes that helps to continue to define who I am, help me achieve self actualization, and move ahead. And why is that?
Because I can.
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