Why Do I Run?

Why does everyone expect to always be motivated to workout, eat healthy, and live a mindful wholesome lifestyle?

When I mention to someone that I'm training for a marathon they first ask how far that is, and second they say, "OMG that's crazy, how do you motivate yourself to run that far?"... I usually don't think into it to much, until now. 
I realized I don't really have motivation to run that far. I'm not competitive by any means so signing up for something and needing to accomplish it isn't really a "motivating" factor and I'm not that motivated to just go out and run 26.2 miles, but i do it anyway.

​I run because I can.
I run because at the end of the day, getting a run in feels complete.
I run to feel the breeze, to taste the salty sweat running down my face, to feel my body get stronger, to take in the fresh air.
I run because it's who I am.

There is no amount of motivation that can get my ass up at the crack of dawn to eat, pack my things, and drive out to a bike path to run for 3 hours in the cold.. there has to be more to it...and there is.

At the end of the day when you go to bed you should be able to look on the mirror, exhausted, yet relaxed, and know that you did something for yourself today, you bettered yourself, you respected your body, you fed your desire to be whole and you nurtured your soul. ​

It didn't happen after my first run... or my second or third. I don't know when it happened, but one day when I woke up to run it wasn't motivation lacing up my sneakers, it was just me.