Why do I run?

糖尿病を発症して、速く長く走れなくなりました。

でも、ランニングは僕の生活の一部。絶対に生涯続けます。

僕が11年続けているトーストマスターズクラブ。毎年春にコンテストがあり、僕はほとんど毎年参加しています。やってみて初めて「僕はこれが得意」なのだと気づいた事でもあるし、何より自分が大切にしている事や考えをまとめて人様に伝える素晴らしい手段だからです。

今年のコンテストスピーチのタイトルは、Why do I run? でした。

全国大会一歩手前のディビジョンコンテストに向けて練習していたのですが、代表となった所属クラブの会員数が既定の8名に満たなかったため出場資格がなく、泣く泣く諦めました。

今日のブログは、そのコンテストスピーチのScriptをそのまま掲載します。

Fujino-san, May I ask why do you run?

This is the No.1 Frequently Asked Question I have as a runner.

Good afternoon, my friends. Last month I ran the Tokyo Marathon for the first time in eight years.

You saw a huge number of people running the Tokyo Marathon. Have you ever wondered why do they run?

As a representative of 38,000 Tokyo Marathon runners, I will deliver my speech under the title "Why do I run?"

楽しそうに

Why do I run? Reason No.1 FUN.

Can you imagine how FUN I was to run the Tokyo Marathon in the middle of Tokyo? I received so many cheers from my friends and enjoyed the scenery of beautiful Tokyo in Shinjuku, Asakusa, Ginza and the finish point was in front of Tokyo station!

Luckily, I have many opportunities to go on business trips to Osaka, Toyama, Hiroshima, Chicago, London, and Dusseldorf.

Running events were held worldwide, three years ago I ran the first marathon overseas, in Berlin. This is a finisher’s medal. (メダルを見せる)

When I go overseas, due to jet lag, I often wake up very early, at 4 or 5 a.m. Do you have such experience? How would you do?   間   I go out for running and enjoy sightseeing. It is very FUN.

Why do I run? Reason No.1 FUN.

少し真面目に

Why do I run? Reason No.2 PERFORMANCE.

Let me introduce the trigger story of why I started running ten years ago.

I had a conversation with my teenage daughter Risa.

Masa:  Hey Risa, I have a new year resolution. I will go on a diet.

At that time, I was like this (写真を見せる)

Risa:  Are you kidding? Are you saying the same thing every year? You cannot!

She was right. I procrastinated my diet for many years, but Risa ignited me.

Now, I learned that running improves my performance in two aspects.

First, physical performance.

Running maintain my health and it enables me to do my favorite volunteer activity blood donation over than 300 times.

Second, mental performance.

May I ask how many of you do meditation in your daily life? 挙手を募る Me too but I am doing it while running.

Another frequently asked question I have is, “What are you thinking while running?”

My answer is nothing particular. While running, my brain is released from angry, annoying, bad memories.

I notice that while running, I come up with a lot of good ideas, both private and professional.

I assure you, running improves your mental PERFORMANCE.

Why do I run? Reason No.2 PERFORMANCE.

大真面目に

Why do I run? Reason No.3 REGRET.

When I was a high school student, I used to be a very promising Ekiden runner.

But when I went skiing with my friends, I had a serious injury in my leg. Oh my god!   間   This incident made me one year of break as an athlete.

If I had not had that injury, I would have been scouted as a Hakone Ekiden runner and appeared on TV in the new year!! 嬉しそうに

I’m not kidding. As such, I have a strong REGRET.

Do you have in-kind REGRET? 間　Such as,

I should have promoted to a company president

I should have married that Ikemen

I should have been a champion of public speaking in Toastmasters

Since I have a strong REGRET, I am pursuing my own goal of a 42-kilometre full marathon.

Why do I run? Reason No.3 is REGRET.

Fujino-san, May I ask why do you run?

Thank you for asking, I have three reasons: FUN, PERFORMANCE and REGRET.