Running to Lose Weight?

The uninitiated usually think that the only reason to run is to lose weight. Well, to a certain extent they're right. People (read: non-runners/athletes) ask me all the time why do I need to run and exercise vigorously when I'm already looking fit and lean? Why wake up at 5am on a Sunday morning to go on a 20km run when you don't even have an ounce of fat to burn? Simply put, why do a person go through the physical and mental torture of long-distance running when there's no real tangible reward to be had in the end (finisher's medal and certificate notwithstanding) i.e. losing 3 inches of one's waistline?

A lot of runners I know first started out as overweight people (and smokers), and running is one of the most efficient ways to slim down (and regain stamina). It begins as a necessity and ends up an addiction. That's how it always goes. People in general have an innate sense of competitiveness and the desire to challenge one's physical and mental capabilities to their limits. Running triggers this need for constant self-improvement and test of wills. A runner might start off barely finishing a 3km run - or walk for that matter. But as time goes by, one's fitness level increases and the fat melts away, the runner feels a 3km run no longer poses a difficult challenge. One then ups the ante by increasing the distance to 5km to provide oneself with a hoop to jump through. 5km turns to 8km, 10km, 12km, and it finally hits you: it's no longer about losing weight anymore - one presumably has achieved the ideal weight by now - but it has become a test of will to see how far one can push one's body and mind to the edge. Plus, the endorphin high one gets after an exhausting workout certainly plays a part in this addiction.

For people who's constantly looking for ways to challenge themselves long-distance running is a very effective and convenient way to do it. It requires minimal investment in equipment, no special places to do it, and there are plenty of running events out there when one finally feels ready to be challenged. It's a very egalitarian and democratizing sport, which practitioners range from the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to the poor kids in Rift Valley, Kenya (the ground zero for all top long-distance runners in the world).

Of course, once one has a few marathons under one's belt, then one might crave a bigger challenge, which comes in the shape of ultra-marathon. Ultra-marathon starts at 50km (normal marathon is 42km) and can go to 50 miles, 100km, 100 miles, or 24-hour non-stop, so on and so forth. Or if one seeks a different type of challenge then triathlon might be worth a shot, and this is what I'm planning to do next year. The fact is that it's all about challenging oneself and to see how far one can push one's limits, physically and mentally. This is the answer I give people when they ask why I run.

p/s: The act of running long-distance in itself is a pure torture, unlike other sports like football, basketball, tennis, etc, where the enjoyment comes from actually playing the sports. The bliss of running long-distance, I think, comes from finishing the race. It's the proud sense of accomplishment to know that one has enough physical toughness and mental fortitude to complete the run despite the torture one has go through during the race. Therefore, unless if one is an elite runner who competes for prize money, most runners are essentially competing against oneself, whether to run one's personal best or simply to finish the race. This is why we run!