I admire runners older than I - they are now my heroes. I want to be like them as I grow older.
Running with others can help get you out when you might otherwise blow it off.
For the novice runner, I'd say to give yourself at least 2 months of consistently running several times a week at a conversational pace before deciding whether you want to stick with it. Consistency is the most important aspect of training at this point.
To put it another way, Michael Jordan was a gym rat.
There's always the feeling of getting stronger. I think that's what keeps me going.
I think it is that parents just don't kick their kids out the door as much as they used to. I think the demise of sandlot sports has had a lot to do with it.