Speech No.9: Persuade With Power

The objectives of this speech are:
- to present a talk that persuades the audience to accept your proposal or viewpoint.
- to achieve this persuasive effect by appealing to the audience's self-interest, building a logical foundation for agreement, and arousing emotional commitment to your cause.
Time 5 to 7 minutes.

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RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
Marissa Monsanto
Date presented: May 17, 2002

Every day, I prepare my running gear, which consist of an old t-shirt, a comfortable pair of cycling shorts and my trusty running shoes.

I always look forward for my run – it is my own free time; time to sort my thoughts and to cleanse my emotions. Running for me is therapeutic.

Hmm… now you’re thinking “How can she find time for THAT with 4 kids and a job?” Well, you just have to be more creative!
I sometimes run in the wee hours of the morning, at the break of dawn; There is nothing more refreshing than the feeling of cool wind in your face, the comforting sound of your rhythmic breathing coupled with the thumping of your running shoes in the pavement..

Sometimes, I do it after office hours to unwind and take off the stress from work ; running round our subdivision, or even the office grounds!

For weekend runs, nothing cannot replace the mother-daughter bonding with my little angel, my 7yr-old, a beginner biker herself minus the side-wheel trainers – she rides the bike with me running beside her.

I even found a new meaning to “Running Errands”.
I pay my Citibank bills, running for our place in Moonwalk to Madrigal Buss park.,
I even ran to Alabang market to buy our weekly supply of produce.
If really in a press of time, I even run to work – a 25min non-stop run.

We all know that exercise is a must for healthy living…
Everybody wants to have a healthy lifestyle, but sadly, not all people exercise.
I myself just started taking up the sport seriously this year!

People never run out of excuses why they don’t exercise.
I heard somebody say: “Oh, I’m so busy … ” or “I feel so tired all the time... so why run and get more tired?”

In our hectic schedule is truly hard enough. So you rationalize, why take precious time to make it more cramped? What is ironic with running is that, The tiny amount that it takes each week to stick with an exercise program gives a return that is monumental!

And if you think that what I do is exhausting, I would like to disprove of this wrong notion.
Running gives you more energy. This is one of the more difficult to explain. This is called the “Energy Paradox” because most people assume that running tires you out. Which seems a logical assumption, but is wrong. Runners report having more energy than non-exercisers

IT develops your endurance, a healthy heart, a healthy pair of lungs and stronger leg muscles. It is low budget, probably the cheapest of all sports and is definitely addictive.

You can do it anywhere, anytime, as long as you have your 3 S’ à shoes, shorts and shirt!
In this sport, everybody wins because “winning” doesn’t require beating anyone. Runners measure themselves against their own standards. When you improve time or increase distance, you win.

Now Fellow TMs, I ask you – who wants to add more years in their lives?
Who wants to be more healthier?

I would like to lay down on you some facts on how running would improve your life.
It is the worlds best weight loss exercise:
Running is the king of the calorie burning exercises.
When you begin to exercise regularly, you become more conscious of what you eat. You eat fewer harmful fats and more of the recommended nutrient.
Exercise and Diet: the one-two punch that can help you knock out any weight problems.

The best thing about it is that you don’t need and instruction manual!
If you can walk, you can run. If you run a bit more, you can enter a 5K RAce, a little more, go 10K. As easy as that. Though we’ve seen books published on running, the best thing about it is that it’s so blessedly simple!

Well for me, I was so inspired by running that I even formed a Fluor Daniel Running team last month. It is a group of 9 FD employees who meet every now and then to run. Two Sundays from now, we will join the New Balance Race to Chicago 10K Corporate Cup. It is a long trek from The Fort, to Rockwell Power Plant and back. We don’t know how we’ll fare against our co-runners, but to finish the race is what drives us to train.

4-time Gold Medallist Olympian, Jesse Owens stated, “I always loved running. It is something you can do by yourself, and under your own power. You can go in any direction, as fast or slow as you want. seeing new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs!”.

Every run is a journey – you’ll never know what you’ll find, who or what you’ll see or even more interesting, what thoughts might flash in your mind. Today’s run can change your life in a way that you could never have imagined when you were lacing up your shoes…

Fellow toastmasters, I challenge you to Run for your life!