Running Past 50: Mastering The Long Race
Welcome to the Cutting Room Floor, a newsletter where I round up all my personal finance articles, put out exclusive content and interviews, and flag my favorite job listings from around LinkedIn.
I may be a writer, but some things are hard to put into words.
One of those things is running.
As those of you who follow me know, it's been a part of my life for a while now, over a decade. It started in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and has since taken me to 13 marathons and 20 half marathons, all over North America.
It feels weird to talk about it, because it's such a personal thing. It's a little like faith in that respect. It's something that reaches down into the core of who you are, and there's something sacred about that, so you don't talk about it with just anybody.
But since it is such a part of me, I figured I would take a crack at explaining what it is all about. To do so for my latest essay, I decided to zoom in on one particular moment, the Boston Marathon in 2023 after cresting Heartbreak Hill.
When you've reached the limits of what your mind and body can do, and you feel like you can't go one more step -- what then?
That's what running is really about. You discover what happens next.
It's especially resonant when you hit 50, by the way. On life's back half, a marathon hits a little different.
I tried to get into all this with my new piece from Next Avenue . Fellow runners, tell me what you think. May the winds propel your feet!
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What Running Means To Me
Now that you have a better idea what running means to me ... I thought I would pose the same question to the masterminds behind three of the most prestigious running events in America.
On the one hand, it's their job, with a level of logistics I can't even comprehend. But on the other hand, it's personal for them too, just like it is for anyone who puts their sneakers on, and their earbuds in, and heads out the door.
Here's what they had to say.
Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director, Bank of America Chicago Marathon
"To me, running is the most genuine and accessible expression of the human spirit. It’s a celebration of people of all shapes, sizes and abilities. Rarely as an adult do you have the opportunity to rediscover an activity that was the basis of your childhood. From your first steps to the playground to the schoolyard, you are able to carry running forward with you throughout your life. There’s an innocence to it that never escapes you. It’s an example of individual expression and freedom in the simplest and most basic form of yourself.
"I live a charmed life because the basis of my vocation is running. It was something I did as a young child, whether it was in the yard, down the street, around the baseball diamond, up and down the basketball court, or on the cross country team. When you go out the door for a run or chase after your dog, it links points of your life together in the most basic way. It’s a wonderful complement to life."
Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO, New York Road Runners (TCS NYC Marathon)
"To me running is an act of hope. It’s an act of self-determination, something that gives me positive energy to take throughout my day. I’m a notorious morning runner: Win the morning, win the day. It’s a way to give yourself positive momentum, and a way to say to yourself that good things can happen today.
"I get dividends from that investment throughout the day. It makes me better at pretty much everything I do. Whether in my work or my personal life, it makes me better as a human. It’s good for physical health, and for mental health. It’s like drinking or eating – just a fundamental part of my life.
"I would also say it’s a family activity for me. I run with my daughter Julia, who’s 15, and ran her first 5K with me in 2022 the day before the marathon. Now she’s on her cross country team in high school. Now my youngest daughter Annika has run a couple of youth races, and is getting into running as well. So it’s become part of my family: How we spend time together, how we connect with each other."
Lauren Proshan, Chief of Race Operations and Production, Boston Athletic Association (Boston Marathon)
"In one sense running is my job, to get people from the start line to the finish line. But it’s also how I clear my head every single morning, so it’s taken over my life in a good way. Right now I am training for the Chicago Marathon, and just got back from my daily miles, so it has creeped into every facet of my life.
"I’m a back-of-the-pack runner, pretty slow. But I came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be fast, and I could use that time to be with myself and my thoughts. It’s a way to be quiet before the day starts to get going.
"It was in 2019 that I produced my first Boston Marathon, something that every event producer dreams about doing. To sit in that race operations center, to see the first gun go off for the professional field, to make sure the last athlete comes across the finish line safely: It was everything I could have imagined.
"With the help of thousands of others, I did it. I knew I had it in me to do something of that magnitude. The Boston Marathon is something people work towards their entire lives -- and I have the privilege to be a small part of that.”
Thanks to these folks for sharing their extraordinary stories. And to anyone thinking about beginning their own running career -- just do it! One foot in front of the other ... much like life.
领英推荐
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"They're Breaking Every Retirement Rule To Be Off Now, Not Later," Oyin Adedoyin , The Wall Street Journal
"Ryan Evans, Killed in Ukraine, Played a Vital Role for Reuters," Elizabeth Piper, Reuters
"The Out-Of-Office Reply That Says, 'Stay Out Of My Inbox'", Elizabeth Bernstein , The Wall Street Journal
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Deputy Managing Editor, PCMag
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As always, feel free to get in touch via Twitter (here), or email ([email protected]), or by DM on LinkedIn -- to suggest story ideas, or ask money questions, or hire me as a freelancer, or sponsor this newsletter, or broadcast your job opening.
Until next time!
-CT
Empowering Runners to Unlock Peak Performance and Achieve PRs | Specialized Training, Recovery, and Mindset Coaching | Exercise Physiologist & Coach
2 个月Great article! I appreciate your authentic approach to running. It is difficult to discuss the reasons for this, as they tend to be deeply personal. I always like hearing from the race directors; it's such a monumental undertaking.