Dear friends (and non-friends) who have ran alongside me,
There’s something about a long run, isn’t there? There’s something about a long run that changes you the way a short run doesn’t… and there’s something about a long run with a friend (or a non-friend) that brings you closer than if you had met for drinks or stayed up chatting in sweatpants on the couch. This past January, after the Disney Half-Marathon, my brother asked the question, “you talked for the entire half-marathon? What do you talk about for 13.1 miles?”
It’s something I get asked often by non-runners or even by short-distance runners who focus more on speed as opposed to long, slow runs. How is it possible that I can talk for so long while running? What do you even talk about when you’re running alongside someone for 2-3+ hours at a time?
The answer is simple and the answer is complicated. We talk about everything. Sometimes I’m running with a friend who I’ve known for a while, sometimes I’m running next to a complete stranger who I met at a group run that morning. But the conversations are no different. Nothing is off limits.
To those “strangers” who have run with me, you may not know my birthday, what I do for a living, or where I live. But you know of my greatest heartache, of my goals and dreams for the future, what my current struggles are (in life, and in running)… and you can bet at the end of our 16+ miles that I know yours as well.
To the friends that I’ve run alongside… thank you for bringing me a certain type of clarity that nothing or no one else can usually provide. You’ve helped me to find the courage to quit a job I hated, end a relationship that wasn’t good for me, and you’ve inspired me to try new things, break down barriers, and enjoy the small things in life.
A long run next to someone, whoever that someone is, is a special gift. These are people who understand the struggles of the long distance runner. These are people who “get you” even if they don’t necessarily know you. But they will, just give it a few miles.
To all of you who have ran alongside me these past few years, thank you.
Love,
A very, very grateful long distance runner.
