Why I run
It’s nearing 90 degrees, the running trail has gotten a bit dusty and dry as summer comes on, and I’m feeling the heat.
I dance around bushes and cut across a dry riverbed to make it to my spot.
At a dip in the river I strip down to shorts and climb into the water. I’m not so brave as to just dive in, but I acclimate a bit and then eventually submerge.
My body temperature lowers just enough, and as I crawl out to put on my shoes I feel reinvigatorated for the rest of the run.
With my AirPods back in the trail beckons.
The heat is still blazing, but water is the perfect counter for whatever the sun may bring. If it’s hot enough I’ll jump in once more before leaving the river and turning back toward home.
Running for me is a bit of life.
Since the age of 19 I’ve had the bug to get out and move (I’m not a fan of threadmills. I just can’t get my brain to accept that staying in place has any merit).
Some years I ran less than others, but recently I’ve mostly managed to run at least once every week, and often 3-4 times.
When we moved into our current house I was pleasantly surrpised to find miles and miles of public trails close to our home. I’ve gone from a strictly road runner to most of my distance happening in beautiful woods and hills.
Most days you’ll find me somewhere in the woods, probably on the same route as I’ve done the previous few months, but maybe on some new iteration of the trails. I’ve experimented enough, and with just the right combination of shoes and clothes, I can run in almost any weather. It could be 10°F or 95°F. Anywhere within that range is fine for experiencing the changing beauty of nature1.
If you haven’t gotten into running, but are curious, my advice is to take it slow.
Pick a pace that you can sustain while carrying a conversation with a friend. That’s not to say you can’t try out sprints, test your limits, and figure out how fast is fast. But the type of running I enjoy is slow, delibarate, and intended to be something that can continue for decades to come.
For me running is a way to move my body without requiring a massive commitment of time. Though I’ve enjoyed (actually I’m lying, I hated it) going to the gym at various points in my life, the extra time required to pack up and go, get there, wait to use equipment, then shower and leave, is all a bit more than I want.
On most days I take less than 45 minutes outside, door to door. All you need is a good pair of shoes and clothes to fit the weather.
Though the physical benefits will rack up over time—better lung capacity, lower resting heart rate, and other more obvious improvements in your body—the mental gains are the biggest reason why I show up time after time to move.
In my career I’m primarily sitting at a chair all day. Though I have a standing desk I’m usually loathe to get up and just do the same sendentary activity but in a vertical position. So when I’m done with work I just want to get as much movement in as possible without spending half the day away from family. Does this truly counteract hours upon hours without much activity? No. Absolutely not. But I try and change that up as well with lots of water breaks, and added time to move and think.
Taking the time to run gives my brain space to think, to process, and to be free of the ever present screens that control our lives.
Running is one of those weird activities where I feel better during, and after, the event. Miss just a few days and I start to crave the feeling of dashing through single track trails, my mind ever active to avoid tripping over a rock or tree branch.
Also, thankfully, I haven’t had any bad tumbles so far. Hoping that continues.
1The only weather I no longer run in is smoke. And yes, that’s a sad reality of the world we live in. For a few weeks each summer our area is carpeted in the residue of forest fires. Years ago I tried running in high AQI, even donning a mask. But at some point you realize that the 105°F temperature, combined with 300 AQI, is probably not good for your health.