Running. Why have I never written about it? It’s almost like it’s too sacred. Too much a part of me to put into words. Running has been my best friend since….well, almost as long as I can remember. Certainly since my late teens. Running has gotten me through so many things. I’ve fallen in and out of love while running, I’ve made big life decisions while running, I’ve planned my next vacation while running, I’ve worked through all sorts of problems while running, I’ve had sparks of brilliance while running, I’ve felt strong and weak and everything in between…while running. It has empowered me and made me strong the way nothing else could. It gave me confidence in my ability to…Keep.On.Going. It showed me I have Resilience. Grit. It has taught me that my body will do whatever my mind tells it to. I wonder how many miles I’ve run in my life, how many hours I’ve spent on the road… certainly more hours than I’ve spent doing any other single thing (except maybe sleeping). 35 years times an hour about 4 times a week (minimum), plus several years (20) of marathon training and running (much greater time and distance) - I’d guess somewhere around 10,000 hours spent running…likely more. That’s a lot of time - no wonder running is my best friend!
There have been times in my life when I couldn’t run or it didn’t feel good to me - pregnancy, post spinal surgery, injury, etc., and those times were hard. My best friend wasn’t available to me. I tried to make other friends - yoga, walking, hiking, rowing, weightlifting….I love all of them, but none of them are quite like running.
I love running with amazing women. I love running with groups. I love running alone. I don’t love one type more than another, but there is definitely a time and a place for each! When I’m with friends, the conversation is always so robust and brilliant… our deep breathing accompanied by laughter and chatter about so many things. Sometimes we talk about running, but usually not - usually we talk about all the things that matter, and all the things that don’t matter at all. It’s a time of complete presence. I have to be present to talk while running. I have to be present to make sure I avoid traffic, potholes, dogs, and weird ankle turning opportunities. The conversations ebb and flow (ebbing more on the uphill, flowing more on the down) - topics ranging from current politics, books, recipes, tv shows, children, teenagers, art, real estate (there are a lot of homes to look at while running!), city development, new restaurants, food (lots of talk about food…running does make me hungry!) work and its highs and lows, marriage, divorce, dating, friendships, decisions big and small. Sometimes one person carries the conversation, sometimes it’s a comfortable back and forth. Sometimes the energy of each person is palpable - whether they are angry, sad, happy, joyous…I can feel it in the footsteps and pace, and I can hear it in their voices. That energy fuels and sets the tone for the run.
I’ve had runs where I’m laughing so loud I have to stop, and runs where my tears have flowed so freely I had to stop. I had to stop, catch my breath, wipe the laughing or crying tears away, and start again. Step by step. Breath by breath.
The joy of running starts the night before when I think - I can’t wait to run in the morning. I send or receive a text from my running partners - who’s in for 3-4 easy miles in the morning? Early? Less early? Always early-ish for sure. I’m feeling like a longer run - anyone else? A run starts the day off just right. It leaves my body tingling, my skin feeling fresh and dewy, and my lungs feeling full of wonderful air. Cold or hot, rain or shine, windy or still….. no matter. Somehow, if I’ve run in the morning, I can figure everything else out all day long.
I’ve often said the best way to discover a new place is on foot! I’ve learned my city this way - discovering twists and turns and backroads that lead to other backroads. I love to run when I travel, be it for business or pleasure. There is nothing better than the discovery and wonder of the new beauty around me than while running in a new city/state/country/continent. My brain is on fire when I run. Sometimes I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, but I can remember the smell and the sights of a run through Barcelona 5 years ago like it just happened. I remember running on islands in the Caribbean - running past palm trees and horses and sandy beaches. Ah sweet Paris running…. along the Seine, to the Eiffel Tower, in a beautiful neighborhood park in the 11th. I remember pouring down rain sideways sleeting freezing marathon running in Dublin. I remember running next to a moose in Alaska (yes - for real!), windmills in Amsterdam, the sound of my own footfalls and breath before the crushing noise of spectators at the NY Marathon just before 5th avenue. I remember cold early dark mornings in my own ‘hood…meeting one group of friends or another - pushing myself to keep up or slowing down to match the pace of my partners. I love San Francisco running, the smell of eucalyptus, the grand red bridge, that spot at the Marina that is so beautiful I catch my breath every time. I remember marathons, half marathons, two mile runs just to get my heart rate up and a little bit of sweat going before an early morning flight. Running soothes me, brings me peace, eases the stress, and is and hopefully always will be a constant in my life.
I think about the incredible humans I met while training for marathons with the Leukemia Society Team in Training - wow. Just wow. People who keep raising money, run lots and lots of miles, and then they come back to do it again. Those are the kind of people I like spending four hours with on a Saturday morning - looking for water stops, sharing power gel or gu or the fuel of the day, swapping stories, talking about chafing and other inappropriate things, staying silent on the uphills, thinking about the adults and children we are running and raising money for, and just learning about each other’s lives. There are so many incredible people that I would have never known had I not been a runner. So many marathon experiences….. that joy keeps on bringing me back to running.
The ideas that flood my brain during a solo run are crazy! I’m never ever short on inspiration while running. Sometimes its a song I’m listening to that will make me think of something I want to do or a place I want to go, but more often, it’s just the running itself. It’s like each footfall sends a signal to my mind - encouraging it to think outside the box, to CREATE, to inspire. I’ve had so many good travel ideas, writing ideas, work ideas, people ideas…. Sometimes I stop and record them in my notes (or ask Siri to…although those talk to text ideas often don’t make a lot of sense when I look back at them)…I’m in a constant FLOW state while running, feeling as if I can do ALL the things…. So very grateful for this.
I don’t know where I would be without running. I don’t know where I’d be without the fabulous people who have entered my life through running - there are so many and I am so damn lucky to have them. Gratitude is on my mind as it’s the day after Thanksgiving. I think about all the runs I’ve had on Thanksgiving morning - Atlanta half marathon year after year after year. That wonderful yet exhausted feeling in my legs as I prepared a feast afterwards for the family. That flushed, slightly dehydrated yet WONDERFUL feeling of accomplishment. (Not to mention….earning the right to eat extra mashed potatoes and pie). I had a fabulous solo run this morning - which made me think about writing this - and I’ve decided that Turkey trots or Thanksgiving races should actually be held the day AFTER Thanksgiving….. there’s no doubt I was feeling fueled after the carbo loading event called Thanksgiving dinner last night. Stuffing and pumpkin pie might just give spaghetti a run for its money!
Run on my friends……grateful for YOU.