Friday Ramble 12/16/22

This week: In it for the long run. Plus, decoding the simple pleasures of the spin bike. 

The long run is a sacred part of any runner’s routine. Before we even begin, we spend time planning our route, choosing our clothes, and thinking about a post-run feast. Then we head out to test our endurance by running a few more miles than normal. 

The word normal does a lot of work because every runner has a different definition of sanity. A long run can be 6-8 miles, just as it can be 12-14 or 16-18 miles. It can even be 26-28 miles if you’re half insane like I am. 

(It must be said that at one point in my running life, eight miles seemed like an incredibly long way to run. Things change.)  

For me, the long run isn’t merely a number to add to my weekly volume. It’s a journey through time and space, taking my mind and body on a trip from one destination to another. If there’s a spiritual component to running, and I kind of think there is, that connection manifests itself primarily during the long run.