My father was an avid runner for most of his life. During his lifetime our Venn diagram of activities never quite overlapped, as I avoided running regardless of incentive or threat. Alone in his love of running, my father used to set out early each morning to pound the pavement – returning home just as I was awakening – reborn as a sweat-covered phoenix. Instead, my activities veered to that of many suburban kids growing up in the 1980’s: skateboarding, basketball, bmx, mountain biking on some really good mountain bikes. His affinity for running was lost on me: repetitive, measured footsteps to nowhere.
I now run.
“What Moves You” – A film by runners for runnersThe joy of running only revealed itself once I stopped running “to” or “from” a place. Instead, I began thinking of running as an act of running in the context of “with”…
with the sensory feedback of my own body,
with the plants, trees and animals around me,
with the air I was breathing,
with the earth underneath,
with the people partaking in the same primal act humans have been doing since we could move erect. Running is no longer an act of defiance against stillness, it’s become a celebration of being alive.
I am finally running with my father.
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About the Author
Mycologically curious trail seeker, former art director, longtime apartment therapist, passionate tide pool explorer, and forever gastronomic adventurer based in Los Angeles amongst the hills of Silver Lake.
1 Comment
i love this, and i love the photo. i grew up watching my sister, mother, and father go out on their daily runs as a kid and i never quite “got it” until i started running at 37. i feel more alive, and more connected to the world since i started running, and i hope to keep up with it for as long as i can. mobility is a gift–i’m so grateful to have it. looking forward to reading more about your adventures.