Sunday, July 1, 2018

The First 10,000 Miles

What does 10,000 miles mean to you? It’s all in what perspective you’re talking about, right? 10,000 miles of flying in an airplane isn’t that far. 10,000 miles of driving in a car is basically one year, and in terms of the car it is just breaking it in.

But 10,000 miles on foot is a little different, and I recently achieved this distance in running regarding lifetime miles. When I started out running 12 years ago, I never really had any goals in mind other than to just be more healthy. I never thought it would lead me to races and reading and listening to podcasts on the subject. I never thought it would lead me to double digits in distance and then marathon distance and eventually ultramarathons too. I never dreamed I would learn so much about myself through running and become a different person

10,000 miles has taken me to new levels of exploration—to new races, parks, and towns; to new trails, roads, and paths I never knew existed; and mostly—to new exploration of myself.

I have learned so much about myself through running. I’ve experienced thoughts, feelings, and emotions I never knew existed within me. And I have grown from experiencing all of these.

I’ve learned that I have more abilities in me than what I thought I had prior to running. I’ve learned that I have more of a love of nature and the outdoors than I realized. Because of that love of nature I’ve learned I have a growing interest in photography as well.

I’ve learned that I can get through tough situations in life by breaking them down and relating them to running. Here is one prime example of that.

Upon deciding to go back to college to learn a new career, in many aspects, it was putting things in a running perspective that got through the tough times of only working part time (and having bills and owning a house) while also being a full time student. I had already run a marathon at that point, three actually, and viewed schooling as a marathon. Starting out by taking my general education classes at a community college to start earning my credits was like the first 10 miles or so of a marathon. Easing into things and getting a feel for how this will all go. The core classes for the PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant) program I was enrolled in was the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of miles 10–20. Then after all of the classes there was clinicals. I viewed this as miles 20–25 of the marathon—that’s where you really have to put everything together and apply what you learned previously to get you through and believe you actually have what it takes. Finally studying for the State Board Exam to earn my practicing license was like the last 1.2 miles where you’re still not at the finish line yet and you just have to gut it out until you have actually finished and you get to say you did it!

I love the way running can make me feel. That is especially true when it comes to trail running. That aforementioned love of outdoors is evident with trail running. I never know what is up around the bend in the trail—perhaps a lookout, the sunlight shimmering across a lake, the beautiful butterfly, patch of flowers, or some woodland dwelling critter. When I’m out running on the trails I seem to forget about every thing else. My worries and cares and fears seem to go away. It is calming, peaceful, and meditative all at once. In large part, it has become my escape. I don’t feel invincible in the real world but out on the trails everything just seems to flow and I feel like most anything is possible.





I guess most of all I just like the enjoyment I get from everything running related. I like the challenge of creating a training plan to run an ultra. I enjoy reading on what others are doing and how it inspires me to push myself. I like hearing from time to time that I have inspired someone else. That is something I never ever thought would come from running. Not in wildest dreams did I imagine someone else would look at what I’m doing or did in the past and tell me they wish they could do the same or find it within themselves just to attempt it. In part, that fuels me for the days I don’t feel like running—because yes I do have those days. Eventually I miss it or know it’s time to head out and explore and progress.

The journey has been interesting in those 10,000 miles. Going from mostly a complete novice to a seasoned runner I’ve learned how to make gains in running by how to train, how to dress, how to eat, how to drink, how to have the right mindset—and how to put them all together to become a better runner.

Upon starting to run I never knew I eventually start doing races. It was in fact finishing the very first 5K I ever did that truly made me start thinking of myself as a runner. I had put a lot into training for that once difficult distance and laid the groundwork for being a consistent runner. After finishing the race and driving home, I asked myself “now what?” I liked the race. I liked the challenge of working to achieve it. I like how I felt during and after the race. After eating lunch I went to the computer and start looking for another race. I haven’t really looked back since that first race. Something has been inside of ever since that day. I hope it never leaves.

One thing through the years I’ve also learned is do what works for you. Become a runner, and every other runners seems to tell you to try this or that for virtually everything. But you have to find what works best for you.

I have run all 10,000 miles without ever having earbuds in my ear or headphones on my head. Listening to music/audiobooks/podcasts while running just isn’t my thing. I don’t consider it safe to do that when running on the roads and when I’m on the trails I prefer the songs of birds or water over the rocks in the stream.

I have run all 10,000 miles outside. I’ve never had a gym membership and just haven’t looked into getting a treadmill—even though one would be nice in some of the cold Pennsylvania winters. I don’t know how many others can say they’ve run every single mile outdoors but I consider myself slightly lucky as I have gone over 9 years without ever missing a calendar week of running, so Mother Nature must be on my side.

I also know that I will continue to learn. I don’t feel you ever know it all with running. I still feel like I don’t do well with hydration and that in particular is one area I want to improve and learn more.

Moving forward, I don’t know where the next 10,000 miles will lead—or if there will even be another 10,000 miles. I sure hope so and can’t right now imagine life without at least some degree of running, but perhaps other interests, experiences, and opportunities will present themselves and just like I didn’t set out to become a runner I will learn to grow with those opportunities as I did with running. Perhaps eventually my body will start to give out on me and running frequency will slow. Again, I hope doesn’t but we never know what lies in store for us.

Much of what I’ve accomplished in running so far I never knew was in store for me. But it has been for the positive. I just hope to progress. My ultimate goal, though I know will challenge me in all aspects of not just my running but also in overall general sense of me, is to complete a 100 mile race someday. I hope to write that in my words about the first 20,000 miles. Wish me luck!… and good luck to you! Now get out there and explore!