Running is a solo sport, and it can be a selfish sport.

At the end of the day it is you who follows your plan, does the array of sessions and logs the kilometres.

And logs the time.

Hours are spent training. Hours during weekends, after work and time when you are usually with your family, or should be doing something significantly more productive. The guilt that comes with this can be tremendous at times. Knowing you have work to do, professional or otherwise, floors to clean, a child to mind, and walking out the back door, hitting ‘start’ on your watch and leaving it all behind and trying to focus on the run ahead. It is not always easy to do. In fact is often hard to do.

And on selfishness, who do you race for? I race for me. I want to beat PB’s - not mates, not get medals or prizes, or the crippled kids in africa, I run for me. If those other boxes get ticked - fine. I read the stories in runner’s world about people raising cash by running across continents and, it does little for me. I want to read the bit on how I can improve my waistline.

Running is often described as an escapist pursuit. One where you leave the wolrd behind and just run. But for many the demands of life mean we cannot log 80km training weeks, even if our bodies allowed us. There simply isn’t enough time.

So at what point do you be selfish?

Is there a minimum you have to do for your sanity, or a quota to be able to compete in a race? No. There is always a run to be had, but always far more things to do. There in lies the conundrum.

Maybe being a runner is knowing running is just one of your ‘things’.

I find being a Dad and husband more important, and the attached responsibilities are tough to manage with full-time employment and part-time study. Throw in a social life and your time disappears.

So for me running is seflish. But it is a necessary evil as it keeps me healthy and sane. Maybe going for a 6k run after work is not too  bad, but 3hrs on a sunday is. Maybe I’m just an ordinary human in drifit shorts. Maybe I’m some sort of over-acheiver who does well at everything. At times I can beleive either. I guess I’ll let my wife and child decide. Meanwhile I’ll keep running.