I’ve gotten into and back into running many times over the years. I ran cross country and track in high school, and sporadically ever since. Starting in May 2019, I began running again and it’s now been a whole year of consistent running for the first time in my life.

It wasn’t always fun. I had to force myself out of the house on numerous occasions. Nowadays in the COVID-19 pandemic it is even harder to run, having to avoid people (and thus many of my usual local trails) and running with a bandanna over my face (when I get within 20 feet of someone). I definitely feel some wear & tear, the aches and pains in my 40+ year old legs, ankles and feet.

But at times I certainly did feel like I was doing more than getting fresh air, burning calories and staying healthy. I’d break on through to the next level, hit that next gear, cruise along at a speed that previously left me gasping. A few precious times I was conscious of the fact that I was moving as fast as I humanly could, under my own power.

What do I like about running?

• going as fast or slow as I want, going where I want
• unplugging and just going
• fresh air
• observing animals
• “feeding the need” – my legs get restless if I haven’t been exercising enough
• I run because I can

Here are the numbers from May 2019 to April 2020:

• Total runs: 120
• Total miles: 712

500 of those miles were on one pair of shoes (a first).

Update: June 2020. I kept it up and had my biggest mileage month yet. The 12-month running window (pun intended) is now:

• Total runs: 125
• Total miles: 761