There are multiple reasons why I run. I find satisfaction in being outside. Road runs are a lot more monotonous to me. I like trail running and mountain running.
I look at running as an adventure. Others look it as a tough thing to do. People are like, “Why would I go run two miles?” I don’t see it as a release; I see it as a way to go do fun stuff. “Let’s go run 50 miles.” Doing crazy long distances is about gaining perspective.
It’s a weird thing to say, but recently I’ve gotten more hippie with it. (On a recent) Sunday, I ran a 50-mile race in Destin. The previous Sunday, I was on Maui and ran to the top of a volcano. We ran through the night. It was really cool. The moon was out, stars were out. It’s something you will never experience sitting on a couch.
We caught the sunrise, and for me, the sunrise was so much better because I felt like I earned it. The effort it took to get there made it more prolific.
I do like competing. I like getting into a rhythm an hammering off miles. Three things: feeling fast, going for an adventure and being able to endure. When you do a long distance, the first attraction has to be some sort of chemical reaction in your brain. You don’t feel high; you feel a warm feeling of accomplishment. You just did the hardest thing in your life and kicked its butt. You went into the belly of the beast and kicked butt.
When I do 50 miles, 70 miles, 100 miles, I feel invincible. It’s very short-lived, but it’s kind of cool. Other people who do this are on the same level.
Everybody is from different walks of life, but people who run road races are into time and pace. That’s why a lot of people are motivated to run. They want to better themselves and improve.
For me, it’s something like that, but it’s also about going out there and doing something impossible.
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