I’ve considered myself to be a “runner” for over 25 years.
What started out as a move of desperation to try to burn off some quickly accumulating post-marriage pounds became something I love, and is now a passion – one that I enjoy, and that I enjoy sharing with others.
One of the true pleasures that I get from running is sharing some of my favorite trails and routes with friends. I’m blessed to live in the mountains of North Carolina, which gives me access to many horse trails for running.
I love the beauty of the outdoors, the fresh air, the time away from the noise and buzz of society and the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of nature. I also enjoy being able to share these paths and trails with friends.
This also serves me well as a motivation for running. Believe it or not – even someone who loves running needs a little motivation once in a while – whether to pick up the pace, or sometimes just a little extra encouragement to get off my butt and hit the trail.
You may also find the sense of reward and fulfillment that comes from sharing a fitness activity you love, or sharing a favorite trail – or from just helping someone make regular fitness activities a part of their lifestyle.
In this case, I was able to share one of my favorite routes with my friend Robert. While Robert is already a runner – he had never run this trail before. In this picture we had just finished the 4 mile ascent and were taking a moment to enjoy the view before starting back down the trails.
Whether it’s sharing the love of running, or sharing a favorite route – I think you will also find the rewarding feeling that comes from sharing your passion for fitness with someone. You just might be the encouragement they need to make fitness a part of their healthy lifestyle.
Questions or comments – use the form below – I’d love to hear from you.
Very true! Hearing the fitness successes of others and what they like to do to get fit is very motivational.
It works both ways too. Every time I run with someone we both remark about how much better it was to run with someone, the pace was better, we went further – or some aspect that was better or more motivating because of going with someone else.