This was an interview conducted in the summer of 2015, where I asked Portland native, Alan Webb, the "Why" of "Why he runs." Enjoy!
"My Why is really rooted in the process of seeing myself get better. Excelling was the real true root, the real discovery of my running talent. I started out as a swimmer, but I did a lot of sports; soccer, basketball, and swimming were the main consistent sports growing up. It was more swimming that I really gravitated towards and I discovered early on that if I spent more time doing an activity, I would get positive results from that. It was a measureable thing, something you could control. I also realized early on that other people were better than me. In summer league swimming, others who swam with a club team year round were faster than me, so my parents signed me up for winter swim team, where I was able to train year round, and through that, my times improved. It was an important part of my life. It's where I learned that skill that when I was putting in practice, I was seeing results.
All along in middle school I was doing two-a-day practice and honing my skills as a swimmer. When I got into high school, I had no formal training in running, other than gym class. I didn't know it at the time, but participating in other sports was really shaping me as a runner. Swimming created an extremely big aerobic base. Basketball, soccer, and other sports also created agility and necessary skills. When I got into high school, I was able to put all of these pieces into running and really excel. I didn't have the right levers to be a great swimmer, but I have the physical tools and talents to be a great runner. The work ethic skills and aerobic base, the polymeric training from basketball, the speed development in soccer. Those pieces were all there when I took up running.
For my Why though, it's the process, not the result or the outcome. I believe that's what makes running great for anybody. Take the person who finishes last place in a race. This person was the last place finisher, but they exhibited the same effort as the winner. I don't see myself being any different than anyone else, even in moments o f triumph. Those examples are what can drive everyone else.
No matter where they are or how good they are, it's about the process versus the actual result. Excelling is really empowering, it's a great feeling of accomplishment. But it's really the process that I enjoy."
What's your Why?