Today is the Austin Marathon, and there are several area and local runners entered in the race. It is a loop race this year, instead of the downhill run as a point-to-point that the course has been in the past. Weather reports seem to say that conditions will be good for the runners in the race. Some of the local runners are running the half-marathon portion instead of the full marathon, but will still be taking advantage of either the largest or near-largest marathon in Texas.

Just the fact that a person runs a marathon is quite an accomplishment, as only a small percentage of runners as a whole ever run a full marathon. The idea of running 26.2 miles just does not register on many runners who are still trying to work their way up to running five miles. When you talk to non-runners, or even some beginning runners, the most common answer to the question, “Do you ever think you will run a marathon?” is, “Why would I want to do that?”

This brings to mind a response to that “Why?” answer. Whether it is running a marathon, undertaking a difficult task, starting a fitness program or completing a very hard workout, everyone at some time or another will ask themselves, “Why am I doing this?” or say “I hate this workout because it is so hard.” It comes down to, why does a person undergo some hard workout that they either dread or dislike, but know they have to do it? The point that they have to do it is misleading, because they really do not have to do it. A runner can settle for an easier workout and still get benefits from it without having to work so hard. But if they want to improve or get faster, they need to put some stress on themselves to achieve a faster time or run a longer distance. If you just maintain status quo all the time, a person actually loses a little fitness over time.

I had a friend who checked his pulse after every workout, and often during the day, to see how he was doing. He did an easy 10-minute pace for three miles every day. At the beginning of his routine, it was difficult to run three miles, and his pulse rate dropped down below 60 beats per minute. As he continued this same program, the workout became easier for him, and the stress necessary to run the three miles was not as hard. Since his body was not working as hard, his pulse rate increased to 65 - 68 beats per minute. He couldn’t understand why his pulse rate went up when he was doing the same thing all the time. I explained that his body had adapted to the workout; and if he wanted to keep it at a low level, he needed to add something to the workload to increase the stress to the body. He could either jog faster during some of his workouts and do nine-minute-per-mile pace, or increase the distance to four miles a few times. If he would do that, chances are his pulse rate would again drop down to a slower beat.

He could also not do anything, and his pulse rate would again come down; because, as he continued the same program, the three miles would once again become hard, since he was not adding any additional stress to the workout and the pulse rate would become slower. It just comes down to how fit or fast you want to be, and what level of fitness are you going to be satisfied with.

A group of us meet several mornings a week to go for an hour-long walk. The walk includes a very steep hill. If anyone is familiar with Oakridge Street, you will know what I am talking about. Invariably someone will say, “This hill is so hard to go up” or “Why are we walking up this hill again?” or “If it were not for this hill, this would be a nice walk.” And just as often, someone in the group will get to the top and say, “Does anyone want to go again - and again?” And just as often, we will all nod our heads and say, “Let’s go.” None of us really want to do it again; but we all know we will feel better because of that hill, and doing it several times will make those days when we only do it once seem like an easy workout.

And it all comes down to the fact that, whether you run a marathon or climb a high mountain, you can always answer someone’s question of why you did such a hard difficult task with, “Just because I wanted to” or “It was a challenge that I wanted to try,” or “It made me feel better,” or the old standard answer of, “Because it was there.”