Your goals and reasons for running and racing should be personalized... [It] could be because you are hoping to lose weight. Perhaps you like running because of the good feeling it gives you when you complete a run. Maybe the reason you lace up your running shoes is because it is a far better addiction than one you previously had. The main thing is that you have your own reasons. Do not run for anyone else...

When you run for reasons all your own, you have a stake in your running. You do not need to prove anyone wrong, you do not need to justify your passions, and your grip on your happiness becomes that much stronger.