The madness of running

Insanity is defined as doing something over and over again and expecting different results.  Running is not insane, although many people would disagree.  As runners, we run every day or every other day.  We do it over and over again and we do it to see different results.  That’s not insanity.  That’s sheer madness.

Madness is defined as intense excitement or enthusiasm or senseless folly.  It’s also defined as a nontechnical term for rabies… but let’s stick with the first definition.

That’s what running is for us.  It’s intense enthusiasm.  Have you ever met a runner that isn’t enthusiastic?  Me neither.  If we weren’t intense or excited to do it, we’d be sitting on the couch, getting fat.  But we love running.  We’re mad about it.

To non runners, it’s construed as senseless folly.  It doesn’t make sense to them.  Often when I tell people that I like to run long distances, the response I get is:

“Are you mad?”

Maybe we are.  Maybe we’re mad about being healthier or faster.  Maybe we’re mad about being active or getting to that next level.

Perhaps we’re mad about not being a part of the status quo.  Insanity is being stagnant and stationary.  Insanity is not pushing yourself and living your life on a rail.  Insanity is being content.

Runners don’t run because they’re insane.  We run to escape insanity.

We run because we’re mad.

What are you mad about?