@desireekoh13 LOVE challenge, being fit, exhilaration, learning about
myself and body, competition and insane amts of food

@smellycents To be better… What about you!?

saloniusRUN @anotorias I find tremendous compassion for others when
I’m sensitive to my own vulnerability. Plus it teaches me my true
strengths.

@lisaborodkin @anotorias To remember being human and see the un-curated world. I saw this too  (from@busblog )

This really didn’t bring me closer to my own answer, but it was fun to see what others thought. It also made me realize that whatever the answer is, it’s going to be something unique to me, every person is supposed to run their own race after all (so they say).

If you’d like some of your own running inspiration I keep a running list (pun intended) of local Los Angeles based runners on twitter here.

Q-Tip:

It’s no surprise that this famed former Native Tongues rapper gets conscious or points his followers towards great music – but he sure doesn’t get tongue tied when it comes to talking trash on sports. On Twitter, Q-Tip gets in the mix, indeed: he’s right there, debating other members on whether or not Brian Schottenheimer is working out for the New York Jets, say, or bigging up Mayweather before a fight. Nothing abstract about that…

http://twitter.com/qtiptheabstract

Murs:

Murs is our nation’s greatest indie rapper, known for saying things other won’t in his rhymes. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he brings no-nonsense flavor and humor to his sports-oriented tweets. He’s just as likely to dis Jeremy Shockey for his tobacco dipping or call out DeSean Jackson for a “not so classy” backwards run-in. Tell it like it is, baby…

http://twitter.com/murs

Elliott Wilson:

Elliott Wilson’s ambitions as a writer have never been in question: dude was one of the original writers for The Source, helped start the mighty Ego Trip, and went on to edit XXL in its heyday. He now runs the influential Rap Radar site, but you can always tell when he’s got the game on, cuz suddenly his tweets shift from whatever tomfoolery 50 Cent is up to the tragedy of the New Orleans Saints not living up to expectations. Word!

http://twitter.com/ElliottWilson

Ted Bawno:

Ted Bawno claims to be a strange, old white man who runs a strange hip-hop oriented ministry out of Twitterland. We, however, believe he’s the comedic creation of the genius merry pranksters over at Ego Trip, which is why he’s so freakin’ funny. Typically, Bawno is either laying lines on the lay-deez or giving verbal snaps to rappers like Wale. However, he’s just as hilarious when he enters the sports arena: “Tiger Woods is putting out a rap album. he’s got a lot on his mind. Wale is writing his rhymes. Wale will teach Tiger how to be black” is one example. He often blends hip-hop skewers with sports in one fell swoop: “Dear Drake. do you play baseball? 50 cent is producing a movie about a Dominican baseball player and you’d be great for the role!” So join Ted Bawno’s flock – he may be no Howard Cosell, but he’s still a playa…

http://twitter.com/tedbawno

– Richard Russell, head of XL Records, via his Twitter

Music needs events, and a Gil Scott-Heron comeback, while not on the scale of a new Jay-Z album, is definitely a welcome one. In fact, Jay-Z wouldn’t exist without Scott-Heron, who arguably helped create rap with his groundbreaking track from 1970,  “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Scott-Heron’s soulful spoken-word style, outspoken lyrics, jazzy flow and funky percussion created a foundation for hip-hop; his combination of political poetry and rhythm influenced everyone from Chuck D to KRS-One, and he’s even collaborated with rappers like Blackalicious.

While he’s no Sly Stone when it comes to reclusiveness and addiction issues, Heron has seen his own share of troubles. His oft-radical politics have kept him controversial, and he’s had his share of drug problems, having spent time in jail for cocaine possession. But his influence has kept his legacy alive, so it was not without some small excitement that news of a new album had hit the Interweb. This time, to honor the spirit of the moment, however, the revolution was tweeted: Richard Russell, the owner of XL Recordings, who will be putting out Scott-Heron’s new material, revealed its existence via his Twitter account. Not only did he break the news, he also posted an extensive preview of the comeback record, which can be heard here. It sounds like classic Gil Scott-Heron, with the occasional retrofitting for modern tastes: there’s the poetic flavor, the spoken-word truth telling, the jazzy, smoky backgrounds, but also a heaping helping of contemporary hip-hop influenced beats and electronica grooves. Not surprisingly, he sounds great over the modern grooves – especially considering he had no small part in originating them. So welcome back, Gil – these times need you.

Social media has given sports fans a level of in-your-face, personal access to their favorite athletes, in a way that carefully-worded press releases, photo ops and on-air interviews could never do. Of course, you can’t blame coaches for wanting to ensure that their players aren’t tweeting when they should be focusing on a game, or leagues, for trying to keep their brand image favorable to sponsors.

Regardless, of the intention on the ban, this kind of decision shows the shortsidedness of the pro sports organization, because this kind of athlete branding is just what will drive ticket sales. In fact, I bet the large number of empty seats for this year’s Open would be filled with the proper effort. No Twitter is not some magic force, but there is a special sauce. I mean, who wouldn’t want to follow the journey leading up the the US Open and then grab a ticket to see the outcome, or at very least catch the telecast?

via Paid Content

Even better, while Lance Armstrong’s tweeting is understandably popular due to his fame and the fact that Armstrong’s posts are actually revealing and amusing, Outside’s list concentrates largely on those sports figures whose tweets actually deserve more readers. Not surprisingly, the likes of icons Tony Hawk and Kelly Slater makes the cut, but there’s also triathlete supreme (K-Swiss athlete and friend of Kspace) Chris Lieto, due to Lieto’s writing skills sharpened by constant blogging. Dana Torres gets points for her versatility, meanwhile, switching with ease from commenting on her swimming regimen to the ups and down of motherhood; Gretchen Bleiler gets kudos as well for her command of diverse forms of online communication. From this list, it’s clear Twitter isn’t just the new blogging, but the new radio, too: getting fresh posts from, say, street skate legend Bob Burnquist means readers will get the inside take on the X-Games like nowhere else. Also, athlete tweets provide a wellspring of useful information, as this Tony Hawk update makes clear: “travel tip: You can’t carry a skateboard through FRA or LHR, even if you are only making a connection. I’ve tried more than once. No dice.” Hawk’s writing also helps protect his fans from possible electrocution: “Interesting fact: ethernet cables in hotel rooms shock you when you put them in your mouth. Our baby just found out in a not-so-fun way.”

As well, the list conveys that when it comes to twitter, democracy rules: it doesn’t play favorites, moving from kayaking to skiing, sprinting to snowboarding, featuring male and female athletes. That sprawl makes clear that, when it comes to winning at Twitter, with enough practice and dedication, it’s anyone’s game for the taking.