Six Word Memoirs

The theme for this week's Take It and Run Thursday is "Six Word Running Memoir". Think of it as an abbreviated account of my personal life and experience through the focus of running. Normally I could come up with a single quote that said what I wanted to say, but running is different in so many ways for me. So I've shared a couple of my top favorites below.

Running is life's challenging, silent partner...

That simple sentence above has been the truth for me for a long, long time. Running, to me, does feel like a partner...the silent partner that doesn't second-guess me and always gives me the bare facts, each and every time I run. While growing up, I'd find comfort in long runs around the lake where I grew up in northern Minnesota. It was where I could push myself, to be stronger and faster. And it was also a form of release for me, allowing carefree contemplation and retrospect that only a quiet trail could offer.

Running's pursuit will always challenge me...

Funny thing, I was recently reflecting on my running experiences and wondered to myself, "will I ever find a day when running just isn't what I want to do anymore?" That's certainly an odd question to ask myself, especially when I look back at how long I've been running. It has been a virtual staple of my life for so long. But would I ever give it up? Well, let's look at running, not as a race but as a journey. A journey without a destination. So when I am completely honest, I realize I don't see running as a destination in my life. To me it's only a process by which I learn more about myself. Every road or trail I run only serves to continually reveal who I am and what I am made of. And it's the challenge of that which keeps me running.