Running is one of the fastest growing sports in the country today; some even say it’s the “new badminton” as reference to the craze that swept the country when it became popular.  But unlike any craze that’s just a phase, running I know will stay because as a runner I know I’d love to keep doing this for as long as I can.

As a runner I love to persuade new people to get into the sport, not just running but any sport, just to get them off their seats and start moving.  Before I started this sport I was already actively going to the gym, although not as faithfully as I do with running (for financial reasons), so you can say I’m a bit of a health buff.  Running is virtually free and just about anyone can do it.

I get a “high” every time I get someone into the sport, and for some reasons I do have ways to convince reluctant people to join (makes me wonder if I should shift to a Marketing or Sales career!) and often willing to lend a hand (even both hands and feet) when needed.  Many discovers the joy of running and becomes regular part of the scene, but others sadly, just do it for freebies or just because it’s the “in” thing.

It’s such a downer to see someone off to a great start but then just stop.  People always find a lot of excuses why they should not do stuff.  For me, my number one reason would be waking up early.  I really don’t like waking up early, but it’s the drive that eventually gets me up.  It’s probably the number one excuse for others.  Here are some of the interesting excuses I’ve heard so far:

• Oh no, Sunday? Can’t it be a Saturday?
  This excuse is valid for some, sometimes, but not at all times!  Sunday is rest day for most so I guess majority should win.
• I have my period.
  I’ve asked a female runner if this really was an issue.  She said that it’s a “girl thing” and since it’s natural they’ve all the means not to be affected by it.
• It’s far from my place.
  Next time we’d do it on your place.
• It’s expensive to join/not enough freebies.
  I could understand the part of the expense, but what I don’t understand is why some people think that it’s like buying and you should get stuff that are worth about as much as the fee.
• I don’t like the singlet design.
  I’ve had my fair share of this.  If the singlet design bothers you so much, wear one you like, unless it’s mandatory of course.
• I don’t know where to get the registration forms and where to submit it.
  In simple terms, “I’m too lazy to make an effort.”  I normally provide soft copies of forms to my friends via email and my blog site, sometimes even printed forms.  I even make an effort to collect these and submit it wherever it should be.  But then it’s a different story if I’m not even running the same race.

It takes some effort to convince someone to run, but it takes a lot of effort to keep someone to run if they’re doing it for the wrong reasons.  Surely we’ve had “new recruits” but we also saw some slackers.  And I really hate seeing a race with no attendance from our group just because I and some other “motivators” are off running elsewhere.  Yes, running done with company is fun but there are times that you have to do some things on your own.  We can’t give you fish everyday but we can teach you how to fish.  In the end it’s all about you.

There are always ways, and there are always excuses.