THE THINGS WE SHARE

Many runners find joy and satisfaction from running alone. It is their special, quite time. It is an opportunity to think their own thoughts and to solve their own problems. Being alone allows them to monitor their own pace and to be in touch with inner feelings. They find all this very satisfying. It brings them peace and contentment in their running.

For others, however, it is tremendously hard to stay self-motivated. Just getting out of doors becomes a problem. They become discouraged by weather or minor injuries. It is easier to make excuses than to go on that next training run. It becomes obvious they need companionship. Just knowing that someone is waiting, and depending on them helps to eliminate the excuses. This leads to the things we share:

1. RUNNERS SHARE UNDERSTANDING. This is far more unique than you might realize at first. It is seldom found among other groups to the same extent. Runners immediately know why we run and why you have to run. They understand the thrill of winning and how down you can feel after losing. They are aware of how much twenty seconds of improvement can mean. They, too, have been beaten by a split second. They even know what it is like to have a good race time, pick up an award, and still feel bad because of not having done your best. Runners understand; and we like to talk to and be with people who understand.

2.  RUNNERS SHARE FELLOWSHIP. Fellowship, basically, is joint participation. This, to many runners, is one of the grandest things of racing. They had rather forego the trophies than to miss the fellowship. Just being there, doing thing together, means so much. When things are right, the fellowship is rich and wonderful.

3.  RUNNERS SHARE EMPATHY. The capacity for participation in another's feelings or ideas. Where would you find this more than among fellow runners? Have you noticed that runners don't have real empathy for bikers or walkers? They admire them; but they don't share empathy. They live in a different world and they think different thoughts. It is even hard for elite runners to have this feeling for those of us who run slower and for shorter distances, for we are not true shares of their experiences. But for those of us who are just runners ... the non elite ... we share empathy.  We know the thoughts and feelings of other runners. This makes us more comfortable with them than with anyone else. We feel that they are truly one of us.

4.  RUNNERS SHARE PAIN. We are concerned about one another. We feel their injuries and rejoice in their recovery, within limits. Perhaps only among runners can you hear: "How do you feel?; "I feel great today!"; and a competitor responds, "I'm sure sorry to hear that!". We are glad they can run; but we want them to feel our pain, too. How can it even be a fair contest if they are so much better today than we are? No wonder a group of runners often sound like a hypochondriacs convention!  We talk more freely with one another, even about minor aches and pains, than we do to a medical doctor. In fact, there is no one else with whom we share so freely.

5.  RUNNERS SHARE THE JOY OF RUNNING. Long ago I came across a list of things that small boys like. Prominent on that list was "the feeling on running". Most of us lost that as the teenage years went by. We became deeply involved in other things; but we have come now to a time of rediscovery. We have found again the joy of running. It is also a passion we have come to share with others. What a blessing it would be if somewhere in every race and in every training session we could find that joy again!

The sharing goes on. It is not limited to these few items; but we can write the rest of the article for yourself. Although your list may differ from mine or your items may be placed in a different order, isn't it grand just to share??? That is what runners do.