Why I run (and what I'm running for on May 6)

I don't think it's a coincidence that fields such as finance and tech seem to be full of marathoners, ultrarunners, triathletes, and devotees to other sports that put a premium on endurance. Your stereotypical banker or Googler tends to be more type-A, fairly fanatical in their work habits, and offended by the idea of doing anything halfway. Those sorts of habits carry over well into endurance sports: They're labor-intensive, costly, time-consuming, and immune to BS. If you try to cut corners in your marathon training, you'll get found out--it's only a matter of when and how painfully.

My case is different. I came into distance running a little less than three years ago, and for none of the reasons above. I'm resolutely type B in all things and quite happy to stick to a 9-5 existence. My biggest dream might be to one day run a small bookshop that just stays on the right side of profitability.

I wanted to feel sharper and healthier mentally, and it took me some time to realize that I couldn't be sound mentally without being sound physically. And I was attracted to distance running for the same reasons as your stereotypical take-it-to-the-limit Man of Business: its emphasis on repetition, technique, and, most of all, showing up. I wasn't very interested in simply getting fast (for all the races I've done, in fact, I've never done something so short as a competitive 5K); what I envied was the discipline of the runners who could keep a steady pace for 10, 15, 20 miles or more. You don't get there without putting down hundreds and hundreds of miles on the road. This for the longest time sounded like a joyless slog, but as I settled into my thirties it became far more attractive.

I've stuck with it for going on three years now, and I'm largely pleased with how I've progressed to this point. Within six months of doing my first 10-mile race I completed the Philadelphia Marathon. A year later I completed the Marine Corps Marathon, and in June I'll start training for the Chicago Marathon this fall, a few weeks before my 36th birthday. (Seven weeks after Marine Corps I also hobbled through this marathon in Millinocket, Maine, and it was the best time I've ever had running, despite the temperature being 24 degrees at the start.) I'm not fast. I'm not slow either, but if I ever want to get into Boston I've got to find a way to run a marathon about 45 minutes more quickly--which might as well be a year. But no matter.

Distance running takes its toll, and this shouldn't be discounted. I've escaped serious injury, but no one's luck lasts forever in this sport. It's hard to say how many good years you get when you take it up in your thirties. I might get thirty years, but I also might not get ten. It keeps you feeling younger mentally in exchange for aging parts of your body a bit more rapidly. So far, it's been a worthy trade. And while I hadn't considered this at the outset, the psychic benefits have carried over into my work as well. I believe it has made me calmer, more contented, better able to systematize my approach to things, and a bit less prone to doubt and anxiety. Having to set a long training schedule and stick to it has additionally helped as I've moved higher into management at my organization and taken on more long-term projects.

I won't oversell distance running. It isn't a cure-all, and it isn't for everybody. But especially if you're looking to get a little bit more out of yourself during the workday, consider lacing up before- or after-hours--or finding another way to invest yourself physically that can get you the same results. I have no regrets, other than taking as long as I did to get to the starting line.

If you've read this far--

This spring I'm running as part of a charity team for the 2018 Broad Street Run, Philadelphia's signature race and one of the biggest 10-milers in the country, drawing nearly 40,000 runners. Living in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, I've run many hundreds of miles through Fairmount Park, and I could think of no better cause than raising money for the Fairmount Park Conservancy in the hopes of keeping it beautiful. Donations large and small are welcome, and you can make them at my Crowdrise page here. While the race takes place May 6, donations are accepted until June 15.