Once a Runner

Run to remember, run to forget.

Run to escape the thoughts, to gather the fragments.

Run to ponder questions, to find answers, to clear the mind.

Run to exhaust the spirit, to clear the mind.

Run to rebuild, release, resist, refresh, renew, rewind, rewire.

Run to embrace the feelings, to numb, to let go.

Run to fall in love, to heal the heart, to soothe.

Run to inspire, to honor, to respect.

Run to admire the power and the fragility of the body and mind.

Run to understand, to accept, to gather strength and resolve.

Run to feel more acutely, to live more intensely, to be humbled.

Run to say goodbye, run to discover, run to uncover with each run

a new beginning.

A few months ago, one of my running buddies recommended a book called Once a Runner, by John L. Parker, Jr. It took me a few months to get through it (mainly due to my bad habit of reading at least 3 books simultaneously and always having to finish a book once I start it, no matter what). Once a Runner is inspirational and describes perfectly, lyrically the "Trials of Miles and Miles of Trials" that the distance runner must contend with on a consistent basis.

It seems that part of the title is deliberately missing. Once a Runner... Always a Runner? Is that true? Once you catch the running "bug," does it ever go away? Or does it just lie dormant for a while--during an injury, a harsh winter, a period of life changes and tribulations?

I haven't gone for a "serious" run in what seems to be a long, long time, but in actuality, it has only been a few months. I look back at the impact that running has made in my life, and it becomes clear how ingrained it is into the fabric of who I am... So many memories, so much of my past revolved around running--it is part of my identity now...

The memories are countless. Running along the beach in Brazil every day after school; running in Houston in oppressing heat and humidity--using an overpass for my hill workouts; running in the woods in France; my first run around the snow-covered Mount Holyoke Campus, past all the beautiful ivy-covered brick building and frozen lakes; running with the realization that my father was dying; running in the Aeolian Island of Panarea, up the steep slope leading to a prehistoric village dating back to the Bronze Age and awaiting the sun; running along the river in Seville and getting so thirsty in the 110 degree heat that I begged a stranger to "donate" his bottle of water; running ankle-deep in snow around the Haverford Campus; running in the pouring rain with a heavy heart in Washington D.C.; running through the streets of Philadelphia; running with my friend Amber in Guatemala; running with my team from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; running with my track team, waiting for my lungs to explode; running over the Golden Gate Bridge after finding out my friend Leon had died; running the Dublin Marathon in memory of my father; running the San Diego Marathon in honor of my friend Denise; running the Silicon Valley Marathon to surpass my own limits...

In my previous blog post, I listed 10 reasons NOT to run and why taking a break is a good thing. But the truth is, that no matter how long I go without running, once a runner...

Note: The picture is of Boa Viagem Beach, close to where I grew up, and where I went on my first solo runs.