I needed some motivation and the Run The World Challenge 2 is just the ticket

I have been running since 1962 and I needed some motivation.  I am participating in the Run The World Challenge 2 event that started August 29.  I did the first one that started July 4 and I ran an average of 5.1 miles per day for 37 days.  Before this I was doing about three miles per day.  That got me in better shape for Challenge 2.  On day 2 of Run The World Challenge 2 I just ran more miles in one day than I have in probably two years.  I just completed 13.21 miles broken up into three parts.  I did an easy two mile warm-up and then stopped for a light lunch (bowl of tomato soup and a roll).  After about a half hour break I ran 7.39 miles at 8:52/mile pace running the last mile just under 8 minutes.  I then drank a bottle of water and changed my shirt.  After about twenty minutes I ran 3.82 miles at 9:14/mile pace.  I started off really slow and picked it up.  Why am I tell you all of this? Because today I would have most likely have run only two to three miles easy but since I am doing the Run The World Challenge 2 I did this instead.  I did it for me and our team. The mission behind the Challenge is to celebrate running, inspire others, complete the challenge of logging enough miles to circle the globe and to motivate team members.  I can say without hesitation that I was motivated today solely because of the Run The World Challenge.  But you draw your own conclusion.  I am the team caption.  I am the guy who came up with the idea.  I have run over 1000 races and have probably run over 75,000 miles.  I founded and published Runner's World magazine for 18 years.  I have been around running for a long time.   If you are looking for something to help motivate you, this would be a good event to get involved with. There are single virtual events but nothing like what we are doing.  This is a team event.  It takes a big team (no bigger than 175).  The team also needs to run and log miles in at least ten different countries and have runners in all age groups from 17 and under to 70 plus.  I am 70-years-old and the Run The World Challenge 2 has me so motivated.  I run for me but it feels good to also be doing it for the team as well.  (Photo one of Bob Anderson fav places to run is in Paris.  This photo taken two years ago.)  

posted Thursday August 30th
by Bob Anderson