A few weeks ago, after two cups of coffee and a bagel, I ran twenty miles on the Appalachian Trail.

I made a loose plan with my buddy to do the run a couple of hours before bedtime the night before. We didn’t really discuss the distance. We just set off the next morning to run.

This off-the-cuff, running 20 miles on a whim, would have been inconceivable to me a couple of years ago. I would have planned it weeks in advance, fretted about what to eat the night before, what to pack. I would have put many hours into specific training for the big day. But, this time, it was just a long run on the weekend. A normal occurrence that was anything but normal. An expression of the freedom I have found.

Moving quickly over rugged terrain activates a feeling within me that is ancient — connection and joy all mixed together to form something beautiful. Connection to the wilderness. Connection to myself. Joy in working my muscles hard. Joy in the movement. I have come to discover that having the freedom to experience these feelings is what I like most about running. And as I run more, I find that I can go farther and climb higher, and feel more free.

Life is movement and moving is freedom. Moving quickly, with strength and intention, is a celebration of this freedom. This is why I run.