Why We Sprint?

Some people run for the sake of weight control. Others run to strengthen their heart, to prevent a potential heart attack, or to reduce stress. But some people run because they just love to run! Count both of us in the just love to run category.

Rick: But I no longer love long distance running due to lower back, knee, and foot problems that I developed from repetitively pounding the pavement at least one too many times. Sprinting on the other hand, forces me to lean forward into the run and to keep my feet under (as opposed to out in front of) me. That enables me to avoid the dreaded heel strike that has caused so many runners to injure themselves over the years. 

But injury prevention is only one reason that I sprint. The less common reason is that, in the midst of a sprint I feel “all together” in a way that I don’t feel in most other activities. That is to say I’m physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually all there! I’m focused. I’m concentrated. I’m complete, engaged, and “in the moment” in a way that doesn’t happen when I’m not sprinting. In other words I’m not distracted, fragmented, at loose ends, spread too thin or diluted in any way. That’s really what brings me back to sprinting again and again and again.

Pam: To be completely honest, running helps both Rick and I to keep our body weight under control. It also decreases our odds of having cardio related health problems as we get older. It reduces our stress levels. And I also love to run whether it’s long slow distance or sprinting.

But I once heard Dr. George Sheehan refer to running as “the dance of youth.” That comment has stuck with me over the years, and one of the primary reasons I run is to maintain as much physiological youth as I possibly can. I figure that as long as I can run long and/or sprint I can’t really be all that old. How’s that for 21^st century logic?

Next Post: The importance of counting your strides when sprinting.