When I tell people that I’m training for a 50-mile running race, the incredulous response is usually “why would anybody ever do that?”

Why indeed?

Sometimes I choose one of my ready-made stock answers:

I have no idea

It makes me happy

I enjoy suffering

No guts, no glory!

Because I can (upon further inspection, this becomes “because it seems like I might be able to”)

Well, my little brother signed up for it and I can’t let him do that without me…

The truth is, if people need to ask why I’m doing it, I usually can’t convince them that I’m not crazy. Yeah, every now and then, I tell someone I’m training for a 50, and their eyes light up and they say “cool!” Unfortunately, that’s not a very common response. Most people shake their heads, pronounce me some friendly flavor of insane, and wish me well.

My interest in long-distance running is really a combination of morbid curiosity (how far can I run before I break?) and something much deeper that I try hard not to oversimplify. It’s that “something deeper” that I want to explore as I create this blog. In my long runs, I feel connections with words like suffering, meditation, solitude, and silence. I also feel connections with words like ambition, success, and glory. So what’s really going on in my mind when I run? I’m curious to find out.

Current Stats

Last 7 days: 27 miles

Last 30 days: 91.5 miles