I decided in advance, how far I could run

One day while running with some friends I had an odd experience. When we began to run I had already set in my mind how far I was going to go. In my mind, I had set a mile marker at which I was going to quit. Once I reached my personal mile marker, my friends kept on running. I thought I knew what my limits were, I knew how far I could run, but still, they kept on running. At the point, I would have stopped their “Running On” encouraged me to “Run on.” I learned something significant in this illustration that leads me to ask. Who is running with? What kind of runners are they?


Your Running Mates Are Important

As you run the road of life. It is important who you run with because it can determine if you reach your full potential or not. If you run with someone, who has a very different goal, a very different direction, a very different purpose from that of yours. You run the risk of ending up short of your goal, lost, confused and possibly ineffective in your efforts.


What Kind of Runner Are You?

Once you are sure of who you are running with, you must then determine what kind of runner they are as it relates to you. There is four type of runners in the race of life. Each type of runner has a different way of running because their goals are different. It will important to be able to identify the type of people that are a part of your journey.

The Sprinter

The sprinter comes on fast and with enthusiasm but is only conditioned to run short distances. A sprinter will give it all they have, but it won’t be long before they are finished running. A sprinter is trained to run short distances and cover a lot of ground fast. The goal is to finish as fast as possible. 

The Relay Runner

The relay runner, who in some ways is just like a sprinter but their purpose is different. A relay runner will run a short distance, but their goal is to support the race by running their section well. They will encourage you and cheer you on as they pass the role of support to someone else to run the next leg of the race. The relay runner is invested long after they have run their leg.

The Marathon Runner

Then you have the marathon runner. These are the people who will cover longs distances and time. They will push you to go beyond your limits; they will challenge you to run when you think you should quit. The marathon runner will encourage you by just running the race, they will be beside you, just ahead of you, even behind you if that is what it takes to promote to exceed your own self-set limits. The marathon runner will run long distances.

The Hurdle Jumper

The hurdle jumper is unique because they must handle obstacles in intervals. The hurdle jumper is conditioned to hand challenges in pursuit of their goal. So, the hurdle jumper has two goals, 1. to finish 2. to conquer every obstacle.

Who is Running With You?

So while you are running this race of life, it is imperative that you know who is running with you and what kind of runner they are. When you see who is running with you and their purpose for running. You too will be encouraged to “Run On.”


Motivation One Moment At A Time




E.N.Howie is native Washingtonian who has been fortunate to experience some life-altering circumstances that given a different way to look at challenges. In some circles, he would be described as an eternal optimist. He believes there is a bright side to even the darkest of experiences if you will search for the light. He is a husband, mentor, community-centered individual and a sharer of inspiration.