My first thought here was of The Runner's Rule Book by Mark Remy. The very two first rules cover this topic.

Rule 1.1 (p.2) - HAVE FUN 

Includes the following statement: "Running is fun. Indulge this instinct. Enjoy it. After all, there aren't many animal impulses that we can act on in public without getting arrested."

Rule 1.2 (p. 3) - EXPAND YOUR DEFINITION OF FUN.

Expanded defs include (quoting his list, below):

• Waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run 10 miles
• Running in blistering heat
• Running in the rain
• Running in 400-meter circles
• Feeling as if your lungs are about to explode
• Paying a race director good money for the privilege of turning your own toes black and blue
• Any combination of the above

Yay congrats!

I must say I love this thread. =P I don't love running yet either...I'm just in a "like" phase...with sprinklings of great runs on nice days.  It usually takes an injury for me to figure out whether or not I really like a sport...I hope it doesn't come to that for you! 

What I like about running as a sport on a non-personal level is that improvement can be determined in so many ways and any way you like.

Just thinking about it makes me want to leave work to take a long walk-n-jog. (Nice weather in DC does not last long! =P) 

Gotta tell ya, I felt the love at the finish line!  I just completed my first 5 mile race last Friday night and loved it!  I did so well!  All the training and running through all my non loved moments really paid off, not only did I reach my goal of running it in under an hour, I came in at 57:06.  That was my PR!  I've noticed that it's "easier" to run a little faster now which is making it more enjoyable.

 

Thanks for all the support.

Yay!

I don't "love" running.

But I've found that there are some enjoyable things associated with running. If you run with a group, there is a social aspect to it. If you run in new places (particularly trails), that's neat. If you see some health improvements (lowering of rest heart rate, maybe some weight loss), that's a huge bonus.

In fact, the main reason I started running was because I watched a couple of documentaries regarding different mental illnesses, and they both mentioned that exercise does what no drug can do in preventing these illnesses. With a history of two grandparents with some sort of dementia, and me not remembering things all that well any more, I decided to start running as my main form of exercise.

I have also found that having external (artificial) goals, such as trying to finish a race under a certain time, gives me focus. I don't "enjoy" running per se, but the process of learning about running, improving oneself, etc. are positive factors in my opinion.