What motivates you?

Id like to know what keeps you motivated and why you got in to running in the first place here is my story all my life i was told by everyone that i would never amount to anything,that i was fat a waste of space and a general loser i drunk alot of beer to quell those shitty feelings and even ashamed to say i became a cannibis addict , For the first 21 years of my life i was made to feel like this i left school with no qualifications and worked dead end jobs i still do now and professionally i may never make it although not through lack of trying thats another story though. 4 Years ago i decided to start boxing to improve my confidence and to lose weight most people said it wouldnt last they were right with the boxing but i continued running i could barely run a mile but i started to get addicted to running the weight was coming of and i felt much better i ran for 3 and a half years and the distances got higher and higher and many said i should consider doing a half marathon still despite my progress my self esteem was still not strong and i didnt feel confident then i decided i had nothing to lose running is about yourself and what you can achieve not what anyone else thinks so i entered the reading half marathon this year my first race and i clocked in at 1 hour 31, I was so proud not so much of the time the fact that the hell i went through to achieve that little victory the medal for all the hard work,dedication and discpline made it all worth it, I entered Bracknell the month after and clocked in a PB of 1 hour 28 that is a good time and considering were i was 5 years ago it was a miracle i will continue to run for the rest of my life to maintain fitness and for the fact it gave me a purpose in my life in truth running saved my life and racing and continuing to prove the doubters wrong is what keeps the motivation for me strong.

Good for you.  I have a friend who discovered mountain biking and lost 7 stone, and kept it off.

Exercise has always been an important part of my life, starting at 8 when I did gymnastics for 8 years. I ran x-country for my school (though the PE teacher said I was built for sprinting not long distance!), then over the years I've done various sports with a bit of running thrown in... til about 6 years ago, when I discovered that running for longer than 20 minutes was the key to enjoying it!  I just run for the sheer pleasure of it, and did my first races last year. 

I run because I can. It makes me feel alive and forget about all of the other crap in life.

I find it de-stresses me and gives me time to myself.  I get back from my runs tired, relaxed and calm and that feeling usually lasts for the rest of the day.

What motivates me?

Running faster than before

Feeling fitter and healthier that ever

i run to feel fit, to jump in fornt of the mirror and the only bits that wiggle are supposed to. I run to keep my heart healthy and to be able to stay fit in the water (i play water polo). I run because i feel good during and afterwards...

 ...but most of all.......

It is the only time i get to myself, and i quite enjoy my own company.

My motivation.

Because I can.

Because it makes me feel good about myself.

Becuase I like the solitude.

Because it helps me keep my weight under control.

Because I do it for me, and I only have myself to please while doing so.

I started running in May - I entered a Race for Life event and did no training whatsoever. I started off walking, then thought, what the hell, and started to run. I didn't have to stop once, and thought, wow! I've found something I can do! I've been running ever since - I've since done a 10K and have started training properly.

I've always been seen as bookish - more of an academic than anything else. Running lets me achieve at something I've never been that good at before.

Wouldn't worry about it Michael - I thought it was quite inspiring stuff.

 As for me, I was reasonably sporty as a lad and was a pretty tidy sprinter but I only had one pace - all out - so anything over 400m seemed impossible to me.  I assumed I just wasn't a distance runner.

Then I reached 36, overweight, inactive and needled by this notion that I couldn't run decided to have another go. 

It worked and I'm 3.5 stone lighter, healthy and love my running now - probably my only hobby as I've given up on the footie & rugby league.

It keeps my weight in check, makes me feel more active, gives me a buzz, keeps me healthy, allows me time to think and relax and gets me outdoors seeing things I wouldn't normally see.

I've gone from being overweight, heavy smoker and drinker and comfort eater couch potato to fit & healthy, smoke free and alcohol free happier human being.
All trough running.

I always wanted to, and I always have enjoyed hiking but I was just not getting off my arse.

One day something just clicked in my head and I realised its not going to be easy. Losing weight. Running. I'm not going to just get up one day and be all I want to be without lot of har work. And that day my work started. This was in 2006.
I've now done half marathons, lots of 10k's and one full marathon and I am currently studying sports therapy and looking to set up my own business. Another change in my life from office work to fitness industry.

Running and fitness changed me, I mean i ran a half marathon in 1 hour 28 my second one and im 25 so theres room for improvement if you had know me 5 years ago and some one told you that they would have pissed themselves laughing.

This is very interesting forum topics, I think. Thanks Michael.

I started my run- simply for my diet. I am not good at any sports since I was a child. But running doesnt need any technique, so I started.Keeping fit is more gorgeous and sexy (!) than any nice accessory or good-design cloths.And good mental effect for me.

And if the sports players or athletes in the world can run, why is there any reason that I cannot run, because I am human being like others...

If I run alone and very slow, I feel I am not alone. Joining the run event (ex. Race for life or local running event) and through this Running World web site, I feel that I can connect with the people who run! 

So,, I dont mind when I run very slow, I am happy to keep something nice- at least it is nice for my diet and my mental. 

I run cos I'm a fat bastard! That's about the gist of it. Also I like food too much. Hopefully by running I will be able to indulge once in a while and hopefully I will lose weight.... Also this time last year I didn't believe I'd enjoy running outside as I did all my running in the gym on the treadie. Been running outside now regularly since the beginning of the year and I absolutely enjoy the constant challenge. I am always finding new routes to run. Someone at work was telling me about a particular hill that was a nightmare. Tonight I ran past the the road leading to said hill and thought, "Bollox! I'm going for it!" And I did. Not only that I completed over 13 miles this evening for the first time ever. I am totally goosed, but over the moon!

Lance Armstrong once said - "Doing something once is easy. Doing something twice is the hard part. " That quote keeps me pushing it every time I run.

Because there is a woman 5 ft tall and about the same measurement round waiting for me if my genes run true. I'm from a long line of rather large women and I'm going to postpone that for as long as possible.

Seriously, I am a very unsucessful dieter - I like food too much for that to ever work - so I have to do some form of exercise to keep the flab to an acceptable level.

I have found added benefits to running, being outside, being alone with ones thoughts (a valuable thing in this hectic, crowded world), and the feeling of doing something by sheer effort alone (trust me, there's absolutely no talant involved here!). There are bad days, but when it goes well it's a massive high.

I started running only 8 weeks ago, but i'd been going to my local gym for over a year and a half before i realised that cross training would not be enough to lose significant weight.

i went on a slim fast diet first, which lost me 2 stone, then i learnt about carbs and protein, which is an essential part of any long term dietry plan, then i started to lose weight.

then I started running and doing long runs too, which burn off loads of calroies.  i was 16 stone, now 11 1/2 stone in a year.  My personal view is that the longer you run the more you'll lose weight if that's an issue.  i run for the enjoyment of it now because i never previously put myself under any pressure to do so..

I now love running because it gives you a great release from any stress, plus it make me feel good, especially when i have 8 pints when i watch the footie!!!!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm bbbbbbeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Started running to improve fitness for other sports and also did a marafun to show off and say I had. Quickly realised the challenge of doing a race was quite fun and now just do one every so often for the laugh and also wait to be in the 100 club as the t-shirts pretty.

Also discovered that after started running asthma has almost gone even through I am a smoker.

I like the feeling I get after the running - coming in through the door proud and sweaty and a bit muddy!

Also, like some others have said, I like to eat! I'm a naturally slim person blessed with a good metabolism... but GOOD LORD i can get through the cakes. Seriously. I can eat a family sized cake or a whole box of biscuits in a day.

I went from 8.5 stone to 12.5 stone when I left uni and stopped exercising regularly. That was a shock. So I lost it on slimfast and then started running - since being injured I've managed to put on half a stone again - there's my motivation right there!

Also I like talking nonsense in between breaths on sunday mornings with my running bud  

I think Danowat and Phoenix 44 probably covered all my reasons for running. There is just nothing to beat the feeling of running down that last hill before home after a good hard run. I still sometimes want to stick my arms out and go 'wheeeeeeeee' like a 6 yr old (though I wouldn't recommend doing so on a club run).

The other great thing about running is it can be a solitary or social sport. Like Danowat I enjoy the solitude, but can also enjoy running with others and going for a beer and tallking rubbish afterwards.

Michael and TurboElli - inspirational