Pounding the Pavement

There really is nothing better than going out for a solo run at dusk, no earphones, and just pounding the stress out on the pavement. The air was chilled. The streets were quiet. I could smell what people were cooking for dinner; I could smell the scents of fabric softeners from those after-work loads of laundry. It is runs like that where all my best thinking happens. I forget about my legs, the day at work, the to-do list waiting for me at home and just get lost. If you have ever wondered what runners think about while they are running, well, here is some insight into my thoughts on this particular run.


Lately, I feel as though there is a running revolution happening around me. Everywhere I turn there is another friend or family member signing up for a race. All these people used to think running was weird and dun, dun, dun…unlikable. Now they have all turned to the dark side too. It is really great. I say who cares how far or how fast you run; it is all about getting out there and doing something. And eventually it becomes so much more than just the actual running.


I recently participated in the Chicago Marathon. While this year was substantially better than my last go at it, the temperature was still incredibly hot. It is not like the race was cancelled 3.5 hours into like in 2007, but it was still hot enough to thwart any original goals. Obviously, I am not meant to run in Chicago, but this marathon was so much more than running the appointed miles. First of all I did it. Seriously, besides the fact I couldn’t walk up stairs very well for a bit, I felt invincible for several days after this race. Yeah, I ran 26.2 miles in a row. Mental strength is a real thing, and running this marathon sent me through the roof. Second, I trained all summer with my brother, Mark, and his wife, Anna. Now it is hard not to bond with someone running together for hours every weekend. And bond we did. Even though the marathon did not go as planned, I still finished, and I would never trade what I got out of this experience with Mark and Anna for a better time. This is why I love running.


Notice I have never said I like the act of running. There is no denying that is hurts. It was what comes out of the running that makes it great. Not just the physical gains, but the mental too.

So if a runner is not thinking about deep philosophical life meaning like that then they are probably thinking about their next meal. We are a simple people.

Right before the start.