Why

It was a rough week last week.  Not my running.  My training went very well.  My body feels good . . . strong . . . prepared.

It was rough because a local runner was shot and killed during a robbery at the restaurant he managed.

It was rough because an ultra-runner I idolized died while on a trail run.

It was rough because another friend was diagnosed with cancer.  This disease has touched way too many people in my life.

Life is short.  It can end in an instant during an act of workplace violence, you can battle a vicious disease, or you can die suddenly while doing an activity you do and love every day.

It is precisely because life is short that you should spend as much time as possible with the ones you love, and as much time as possible doing things that give you joy and a sense of fulfillment.

Lately I seem to struggle with the loved ones part so for now I’m focusing on the other.

I keep getting asked why I’m interested in ultra-marathons, why I would put myself through something so difficult and dangerous.

I love running and especially trail running.  It gives me a sense of peace, joy and fulfillment.  It doesn’t hurt that it also keeps me fit and healthy.

Once you reach a level of endurance that enables you to run for hours, distance becomes irrelevant.  The challenge is no longer physical, the challenge is finding the mental fortitude required and simply keeping your body fueled and hydrated well enough to continue that level of activity for long periods of time.  Most people look at an ultra marathon and find the numbers 50 or 100 intimidating and dangerous.  I think of them as an opportunity to spend an entire day doing something I absolutely love to do and if I perform well, I will be rewarded with a finish line at the end.

Most of my friends like to spend their weekends on the couch in front of the tv, or at a sports bar, drinking beer and eating wings and chips.  I like to go out and spend a few hours running, usually with friends, sometimes solo.  In the long run, which of those activities do you think is really the more dangerous?