Why I Run...

Now I run because being in shape as a runner gives me a physical freedom that keeps me young and able to keep exploring and going places, keep moving where and when I want, in the most primitive form of movement. As an avid trail runner and hiker, I can keep exploring and enjoying the outdoors just like I did when I was a kid, but on a grander scale. It's all relative; there are many people who can go farther and faster than me, but I enjoy the freedom running provides.

In the past there were lots of other reasons to run as well -- losing weight, addiction to running, racing, "my time", escape from problems, thinking time, moving meditation, and more. And there were different kinds of running: soccer, sprinting, orienteering, road racing, trail running, and some ultrarunning.

Now I love the mesmerizing focus and controlled chaos of technical trail running, but I've also been extending my time out there with hiking. More and more I'm beginning to see less difference between walking, hiking and running, though I think most runners see clearer lines of difference. It's just a question of speed and effort, and there are times when fast is great, just as there are times when slow is wonderful, more thoughtful, more perceptive to surroundings, as life in the past meant knowing everything about your surroundings, as life depended on that. But the flow of trail running is a thing of art and beauty.