There are many questions you may ask. When seeking answers we are taught to seek out a professional to give us the answer.

This is the way everyone operates.

Before we go further into this topic, let it be said that I do not have any stake in whether you do or don’t take an action. This is purely an exploration of the manner of which we approach our problems. And be advised now that I will not tell you whether you should run or not in this post..

Looking at the realm of fitness, let’s examine a question I have been asked recently. Should you run or not?

To begin with, the question was specifically asked in this way “don’t you think there’s benefit to running?”

See the subtle difference between the questions: should you run or not vs. don’t you think I should run?"

The person asking the question with “don’t you think?” has already decided what their opinion is. They are merely looking for approval, confirmation and permission.

Let it be noted that there is nothing inherently wrong with this. We are just taking a deep dive into how questions are asked and the process to find solutions.

Some of these clarifications are essential as the way I think and write is far from normal and may seem far-out to you. That is ok. If you like it, fine. If you don’t, also fine. I don’t aim to convince anyone of anything. Those days for me are long gone. If you resonate with the message, so be it.

Back to the original question about running.

The person asking the question wanted to know if running was important. Should he run. Aren’t there benefits etc. as he stated I don’t talk about running much and I don’t recommend it often.

Like most things, there’s nuance involved. It’s not a black and white issue. Does everyone need to run? Maybe, maybe not. How far? How fast? For what purpose? What is the end goal? Is there a goal at all?

There are a multitude of questions to ask to get to the bottom of why a person should or should not run. What is your background? Have you played sports? At what level? Are you trying to play a sport now? Do you want to compete in running? Are you planning on attempting to complete an Iron-Man?

So many different aspects to finding solutions. Questions open doors. Often they do so in a way that is unexpected for the person asking.

You may say it’s a natural movement, running. Humans are made to do it. But then I ask how running has worked out for you and it’s nothing but a long list of injury and pain. This doesn’t mean running is bad for you, but it’s information to further investigate the problem and solution.

At this point you may be thinking, just tell me what I should do!! If that’s what you desire, it would be best to go somewhere else. I have no interest in telling people what to do.

When working with people I take into consideration all factors involved in a persons life and training. What is the end-goal? Where have you come from? What is the background? How much time is there to invest? What are you willing to do and not do? So many factors.

Most of the world will tell you what they think you should or shouldn’t do. Almost everything you will read, whether it be online or in books or magazines or anywhere else, will tell you this is what you should do. Here are the 5 steps. This is what worked for these other people. Now you should follow it if you want to achieve your ideal.

What is wrong with that approach? If you find it beneficial, then by all means continue.

From my experience, the common ways of doing things are always limited. Sure, you can find some helpful solutions. Maybe one that is just right for you. But it’s been my discovery that the reason you found success with a program is not the information so much as other underlying elements.

You can follow a template to the letter and find great success. Someone else does it just the same and has subpar results.

Why the difference? Maybe you believed in the plan even before you started it where the other person had doubts and this impacted the results.

There are many factors beyond simply finding “good” information and following it step-by-step. With coaching there is a lot of grey area. Where one tactic works great for one human, but an entirely new strategy is required for another person.

A friend of mine recently mentioned he felt he was running away from his problems and he should not do that anymore.

I didn’t tell him yes or no. I listened and then offered this: even if you want to stop running away, you will keep doing it. The pattern is ingrained and there needs to be a stronger desire to overcome this than just saying it. Information does not transform anyone.

For an absolute beginner, having a good established program can save them time and effort. Most certainly. But beyond the beginner level, there is so much more to making giant changes in life than just following a preset routine.

I’ve written books that include templates of programs but even those allow for a lot of variance and adaptation. You can follow a basic guide but you have to adjust on the fly as each day is going to be different.

If you believe running is good for you and you should do it, nothing I say is going to change that, even if I was convinced that running was not a good activity for your body right now. That’s the power of the mind.

You asked the question purely to get confirmation of what you already believed. And like I said before, I have no intention of telling anyone what to do. If you want a sincere answer, we can go into a discussion to see what the truth of the matter is for you. If not, there’s really no point asking me for an opinion. As it is just a waste of time: yours and mine.

So the question “should you run or not “ is one to approach on an individual basis. I have no interest in what any other “expert” says or what a study or book said. It’s all about you. What is the most efficient, effective, essential activity for you to get to where you want to go.

If you want to run because others do and you think you should, that’s a weak motivation. Just like if you want to stop running away from your problems because you think “it’s not good for me” or “shows I’m weak”. That is also not a strong enough impetus to cause any significant change.

Now, I’m off to run backwards up a hill. Should you do it too? Maybe.. maybe not..