In April of 2020 I had a chance encounter with a lovely kiwi woman on Anastasia island near my then home of St. Augustine. She invited me to a running club meeting & went out of her way to find someone similar ability-wise for me to run with. Up until that point in my life, running had always been a solitary endeavor and something that I often felt “obligated” to do without much enjoyment.
When I showed up to the meeting I was introduced to my scheduled running companion, Bill. Bill was 65 years old and mentioned that he had already run that morning and was just going to do a “quick 4 miles” then depart. We took off running and began getting to know each other. I quickly realized that Bill was in much better shape than me labored to keep up with his seemingly effortless 7:30 pace. I tried to ask open-ended questions that required few words so that he wouldn’t notice just how winded I was-despite being 41 years his junior. His fitness was impressive and I felt thoroughly humbled.
Following that run, I basically weaseled my way into his training schedule and became his never asked for training partner-often running 3-4 times to week together. He went out of his way to introduce me to everyone in the club and pushed me to train more efficiently and race more frequently. He showed me what a proper week of training looks like and-most importantly-made running something I looked forward to everyday that I had the opportunity to train with him or Andy (60 year old Canadian ultra runner-also a total badass yet the most humble person you’ll meet). I quickly began to rearrange my flight school schedule just to be able to train with them as much as possible. Our conversations over coffee provided some of my fondest memories from living in St. Augustine.
Fast forward 2 years and change, some of my most positive encounters and most cherished friendships have come thanks to running. Joining the ancient city road runners and Boise area runners has introduced me to most of my favorite people in both cities and led me to a beautiful variety of experiences. Running while traveling internationally allowed me to connect with places in ways I never had before.
Running ultras has pushed me to discover parts of myself that I didn’t know existed. It’s taken me to beautiful places and forced me to be endlessly curious about my natural surroundings and the environments I inhabit.
Whether it’s 4 months, 4 years, or 40 years down the road (if I’m as fortunate and capable as Bill and Andy), I recognize that running will likely cease to be as crucial to my identity as I feel it is now. That’s alright with me. I’m at peace with that. Running doesn’t always service me in healthy ways and I don’t ALWAYS love it. I feel that’s natural however. Few things in life are unanimously positive and without downsides and running is no different. Right now I love the freedom and simplicity of being able to move my body and explore places/states of mind that few people are willing or able to go to. And for that, I’m endlessly grateful to running.
Running up Kepros Mountain outside Boise on a misty June morning.
Your photos are always gorgeous. It’s wonderful to be able to see the world through your eyes as I read your thoughts. Congratulations on finding something that is so special for you. Retirement has given me the chance to rediscover what is special to me too. Turns out, it is the same it was 27 years ago…the joy of watching little ones find their joy. 💙💙
Great stuff! I had met your mom on a flight to Dallas this past summer and she had told me all about your adventures, her own adventures, and your blog! I found this tab still open now and realized I had never taken the time to write a response to one of your blogs. I hope you guys had a great trip in Alaska and all you and your family’s many travels are going well 🙂