It was the night I began sleeping in my athletic clothes that I started to realize I was addicted to running. It was my eagerness to wake up at five o’clock the next morning and take a six mile cruise through the back country roads in my brand new shoes, even if it meant coming face to face with a skunk or being sore the rest of the day. I craved a satisfaction deep within that could only be met through sweaty socks and 45 intensifying minutes of pure commitment. It was my love for running and the confusion of others that stimulated my interest in knowing what inspires people to keep running.

As a reader, you’re probably wondering…maybe even laughing at the idea of someone willingly deciding to run for pleasure. Being a runner, I often question if what I’m doing is even healthy. Some days I hate running and it takes all I have to talk myself through just a couple short miles. So what keeps someone coming back for more, time after time?

It turns out, that I wasn’t the only curious person wanting to know the answer to this question. When researchers conducted an experiment on 150 runners who belonged to a running club, they came up with an analysis on five major reasons why people idolize running and practice the exercise on a regular basis.

After following the group for nearly one year, it was argued that the number one reason why people run is for security. Life is hard, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a fact that we all fall down, but it’s a choice whether or not we pick ourselves up. When you’re able to set and achieve a measurable goal like completing a race, you start to have a better understanding on how to deal with any given situation. This repetition of goal setting creates a healthy pattern that starts to have an effect on all aspects of an individual’s life.

Secondly, it was discovered that by improving your “running knowledge,” you start to gain a sense of self control. An example of someone’s running knowledge would be their ability to find the best pair of shoes accustomed to their preference of comfort, or figuring out the most efficient course for a workout. The technique of learning how to navigate through your own problems is known as mastery and competency.

Competition plays a huge role in the activity of running and is the third factor researchers found in their recent study. Sir Rodger Bannister, the first person to ever break a four minute mile is quoted saying, “the man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.” When you beat someone else or even your own personal record, you gain a confidence that keeps you wanting more.

Finding an identity was the fourth conclusion described after the study. Whenever you share a memorable experience with someone else, you start to make connections that soon begin to form a common language. The same is true for runners. Crossing paths with other people who love to run just as much as you do often makes one feel like they belong to a community and share not just a hobby, but a lifestyle.

Lastly, the fifth reason why people run is because of something called psychological flow. When you’re able to grind out a tough run by overcoming all emotions, you become focused and are fully immersed with the feeling that you could run forever. This is described as a “runner’s high” and is a major component as to why people continue to run.

Every habit or addiction has some kind of psychological view behind it. Aside from what we’re taught to believe though…beneath the surface, we all have our own reason on why we perform a certain task or do specific things. No single book or detail orientated website could ever answer the question “why people enjoy running” perfectly because no person is the same.

It is true that some people hate running and do it simply because they’re looking to shed a few pounds or to stay in shape. Running is an aerobic exercise that improves bone density, mitigates depression, and increases your metabolism. It is great overall and has been known to increase your lifespan and condition your heart and lungs. If you’re like me though, there is much more as to what stirs that passion deep inside. When I am close to the end of my run, the positives quickly outweigh the negatives and a sudden wave of gratification overcomes me as I try to hold on to such a rare kind of feeling for as long as I can. This is why I run, for that very feeling and many other reasons.

I find this topic important because a large majority of the runners I’ve talked to didn’t start running until college. In fact, a lot of them used to hate running. This was until they actually gave it chance. And no, I don’t mean they went running once and fell in love instantly because the odds of that happening are very rare, but they stuck with it for a decent amount of time.

So whether you’re looking for a calming, competitive, meditative, intense, stress relieving, short, long, or fun exercise, I would encourage you to give running a shot. Outside or inside, over bridges, up hills—running can be whatever you want it to be and is merely up to you.