Every Wednesday, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

This week’s word is INVOLVEMENT.

I love this quote (as well as, the tennis player Martina Navratilova who wrote it).

So with regards to running, are you a pig or a chicken?

In other words, are you involved?

You run alone. You run with others.  Sometimes you run fast.  Sometimes you don’t. You race short distances. You race long ones. You have good races and you have not so good races. You provide support to other runners.  You may even volunteer at races.

It is a good thing to be involved in something you enjoy.  In addition to the obvious health benefits, involvement with running leads to making friends and inspiring others.

But are you committed to running?

Is it a priority in your life?  Do you plan things around your running?  Do you run with an injury?  Do you never skip a run?  Do you always have a plan? Do you always run with a watch? Do you record every run?

Does it rule your life (and maybe others close to you think you should be committed)?

this “committed” runner ran this race with a stress fracture

So that running doesn’t kill me (like the pig), I need to be involved with running because I love it but be committed to a healthy degree.

this runner walked half of this race due to a recent Achilles injury & still enjoyed the time with her friends

Hopefully, this makes sense to some of you runners.

It’s just a reflection.  Not meant to be a criticism of you “committed” runners.

Happy Running! Any thoughts on involvement and running? What does it mean to you?