Running Through the Years

As I become older and consequently more reflective of the events I attend and the people I encounter, my hobbies and passions tend to remain the same. However, I sense that my relationships with the things I spend my time on change drastically. I suspect this is the case with most people; it is most likely a sign of maturity or experience, which allows me to view the world from new perspectives.

One of my long time hobbies has been running. There has been much said about this sport (much of it more insightful than anything I could ever come up with), relating the truths of what running means to various people. To this end, I’ve long wondered what running means to me.

A visual representation of my running, according to Nike:

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

My first encounters with the trail came not from some romantic desire to push myself to the outer boundaries of physical and mental limits , but from a simple need of doing something — anything — to keep myself active and sharp during youth. Running, to me, was an act of rebellion against the strict order of daily life. We’re all forced to wake up, shower, prepare breakfast, attend classes, go home, study, and repeat, but lacing up my shoes and hitting the trial was an activity without structure and a call to something wilder beyond normality. The feeling was something incredible at that time. I did not think; I only ran until my legs and chest burned. It was not a pain but a satisfaction.

I wanted to be good at something. It didn’t matter what it was, but I wanted people to look at me and say that I’ve accomplished something. My body and mind just happened to be well-suited for this task.

Some eight years later, running means something quite different to me. I run not for the admiration of others, but only for the reflection and introspection time that it provides. My mile times are not as important as the act of running itself. It is a chance to enjoy nature, listen to the breeze, put on some music, and to capture images and experiences that are uniquely my own.

The ample time I spend running has given me much time to think. For a long period of time, I have wanted to capture these experiences in photographs and compile a sort of “runner’s journal,” not primarily with words, but in a sort of photo-montage set to music. The only problem with this idea is that it’s not quite practical to carry a digital camera out on a 10 mile romp through the forest.

I may entertain this idea sometime, though. I’ll see.

Explore posts in the same categories: Health

Tags: accomplishment, body, hobby, iPod, mind, Nike, pain, pleasure, runner, running, satisfaction, shoes, sport kit, trail

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