Why do I run?

Running has been an important part of my life for almost 30 years now. I’ve learned a great deal about running and about myself over that time.

I started running when I lived in Washington, DC, working on the Hill. I decided I should try to be healthy. So one day I stepped out of the row house I lived in on E. Capitol St. and ran a block and back. Yes, that was literally my first run – 2 whole blocks. And it nearly did me in. I was not in shape. Which is why I knew I needed to keep going. So the next day I added a block out, totaling 4 blocks. And each day I ran I kept adding another block. At the time, I lived seven blocks from the US Capitol grounds. These were pre-9/11 days, so at that time you could just run right up to the building, literally touch it is you wanted to, and no one would think twice about it. I worked my way up to running to the Capitol building and around to the other side of the building. And then added more – all the way to the other side of the Washington Monument. This loop ended up being about 4 miles in total. And I stuck with that.

There’s a neat location on the west side of the Washington Monument that I loved to run to, and then pause and look around in a 360 degree fashion. At the time, the Monument was surrounded by a snow fence forcing you to go a little distance away from the Monument. When you are on the west side of the Monument, you can stop, look to the north and see the White House through the trees. Look to the West and see the Lincoln Monument (now the WWII monument would be in between). Look to the South and there is the Jefferson Monument. And to the East is the Capitol. And right next to you is the Washington Monument. It’s at that one spot where everyone and everything is looking at each other – Past presidents (in stone) keeping a watchful eye on current generations. I don’t know if it was a good or bad thing. It just was.

Eventually I moved, when I got married. And the running stopped. And then in 2002, I watched the movie “Bend it Like Beckham.” It inspired me. I wanted to play soccer again. But I was not in shape. So I started running again. And this time, I didn’t stop. It was then that I decided I would run a marathon. And so I signed up for the Harrisburg Marathon. I ran a half marathon in preparation. I did the training. I ran the race. It was a frigid day in early November – maybe 20 degrees. I did well, until the end, when a hill about did me in. And I decided that I wanted to do more.

I’ve been running distance races since 2003. Each race and each training are opportunities to grow and learn. Each race has its own story to tell. And as I get older, the meaning of the races get deeper.

If you asked me in those earlier days why I ran, I’m willing to bet that I would have probably said something to the effect of “I run to stay in shape, to push myself, to do something difficult.” Those aren’t bad reasons to run. But it was during that time that if I wasn’t signed up for a race, I didn’t have the motivation to run.

But now, it’s different. Running isn’t a chore or something to check off a list. It’s a companion in life. I feel like I’m running better now than at any earlier point in my life – not necessarily faster mind you. But speed isn’t everything when it comes to running. For me, it’s the endurance. I feel like I can run farther, maintaining a good solid pace. I feel healthier in my running. I listen to my body more too. My body sets the pace, not my ego.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from running is that I am not in control. I can’t control the weather. I can’t control the humidity. I can’t control the sunshine or clouds. I can’t control the traffic, or construction, or rude drivers, or unexpected things that get in the way of where I am running. The only thing I have any sense of control over is how I respond and adapt. And even then, I’m not convinced I have much control.

This has been a good life lesson for me that I take to other parts of my life. I’m fond of saying that running keeps me sane. When I go out for a run, I just go. I have an idea of how far I’m going to go and the path that I want to take, but I can’t control things outside of myself. It is running that allows me to have a calm presence in the non-running times of life.

Running is about persistence too. It’s about an ongoing conversation with your head and your body about what you can and should do, about how you are pushing yourself and what your limits are.

Now I run regardless of whether I am signed up for a race or not. I have shifted to really enjoying it for its own sake. And I love that shift. Running is now a partner for me, rather than something I do. When I run, I allow my mind to wander. Sometimes I have amazing insights. And other times, my mind experiences something it rarely gets – silence.

Running is a solitary and communal sport. 99.9% of runners know they have no chance whatsoever of winning any race they are entered in. For most of us, we don’t sign up for races to win. We run in races because race day is the celebration of running and the training you have done. It’s why you’ll see runners help other runners on the course and at the end when another runner is struggling. We’re all in this together after all. I have been on the receiving end of help and also been a giver in many races over the years. You see a runner struggling and you strike up a conversation and ask if you can run with them or snap them out of their funk by telling them to run with you. You can literally see people’s mental change happen and they get back in the race. You cross the finish line together, exchange gratitude and congratulations, and then part ways. Running is about challenging yourself and doing that in community because you know everyone else is doing the same thing.

And what a great lesson for life. Imagine if that was our operating mode for politics, or religion, or business, or anything really. Imagine how much better the world would be.

Why do I run? Because running offers a vision of what is possible – a world where people are all struggling and they look out for complete strangers.

Why do I run? Because running isn’t just a physical activity. It’s a spiritual activity too. An ongoing conversation with God and the rest of creation.

Why do I run? Because running teaches me about my body, mind, and more.

Why do I run? Because running is an important partner in life.