Earlier this week, I had a catch-up lunch with a former boss and (shocker, a runner talking about their sport…) I was telling him about my running adventures. Since we worked together, running has grown from more of a hobby to a serious pursuit and bigger part of my life. He posed an interesting question: Do I have a running accountability partner? What keeps me going?
It is a fair question. How else would I stay motivated? What it brought up for me kind of surprised me.
At first I said I don’t really have an accountability partner. Then I added that I do have a running group. We share stories about our progress, so there’s some accountability there. Posting my runs to Strava provides some of that too. It’s projecting my successes and my failures out into the ether. There’s “internet accountability” in that. I added that some people do hire a coach, though I haven’t gone that far, and we left it at that.
Later, I got to thinking about his question again.
I realized I haven’t needed accountability from anyone. This running thing, it’s for me. I do it for my health and well being. I keep showing up because for whatever I put in, I reap ten-fold the benefits in how I feel. I set goals for myself, and that has been enough to push me onward.
Running for me has its own built in rewards system. This sport delivers me to scenic places. Views best seen on two feet. Shown whole cities in a day, as only a marathon can do. I’ve met incredible people, some who I now count as friends. My energy, in such short supply throughout my twenties and thirties, now feels boundless into this fourth decade of life. Running has helped me find a my own inner grit.
But is also got me wondering, what if I had something more? Maybe I could be achieving more with the right accountability or encouragement. I’d love to hear what accountability measures work for you!