Forest Gump is a great movie for a lot of reasons. One of my favorite scenes is at the end of the movie, when Forest decides to pick up and run to the end of the road. He gets there and decides to run to the end of town, and then “for no particular reason at all” he decides to run across the great state of Alabama. And thus begins his run across the USA. We get to hear him as he is recalling his story:

FORREST (V.O.): When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.
 
ELDERLY WOMAN: And so, you just ran?

FORREST: Yeah.

FORREST (V.O.): They just couldn't believe that somebody would do all that running for no particular reason.

2ND REPORTER: Why are you doing this?

FORREST: I just felt like running.
   
I often get questions from people, on how to stay motivated when running. They buy planning charts, they buy books, they subscribe to magazines, they go out and purchase the latest, high tech gadgets to “improve running” ... But none of that matters.

Did you hear that? That was the collective scream of thousands of running experts!

The truth is that when you run it's you and the road. When Forest says he runs for no reason at all I take that to mean that when we run we run for everything and nothing.

I run to keep sane, I run to let loose, I run to clear my head. Running is all consuming, it is the most primitive form of human movement. Our ancestors have run for centuries. It is considered a stress reliever for politicians (Al Gore, and George Bush have both run marathons) celebrities (Oprah, P Diddy, Will Farrel and Lisa Ling have all tackled the marathon) and countless others.

In fact studies show that maintaining consistent running can contribute to mental clarity, stamina and the ability to cope with stress and can help contribute to personal effectiveness.

Getting back to the question of dedication, here is the secret ... Nike told you long ago … Just do it!

That's it. Put on your sneakers, and step outside. Don’t get overwhelmed, by distance, time, and fancy gadgets. Take a deep breath and be honest with your fitness level. Can you run today? Do you need to maybe jog? Hell, start out walking and mix a few minutes of jogging between, until you have built up your fitness level to running. Maybe you start with 20 minutes, maybe one day you go out for an hour.

The most important thing is simply that you get up, get out and just do it. Everyday. Sure you can take a day or 2 off; but no more then 3 days. This will help you to remain consistent. And consistency is key! Don’t worry about running too hard, or about sprinting or getting crazy or competitive, just take a deep breath, and walk out your front door. Enjoy the weather, enjoy the fresh air. If you feel like walking do it!

Studies show that participants of a walking, jogging or running program are most successful when they start early in the morning, before the day gets away from them. So stop hesitating, and just get out there!