What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I've always liked running. I'm a skinny, tall guy who played a lot of sports and idolized Terry Fox, but it's also just a feeling. I like running long, every step a mantra, finding a rhythm that I know I can maintain to perpetuity, and I like running fast, powerful, almost silly strides, jumping over puddles or through trees.

I'm also good at running. Pretty good in elementary or high school, but now, I'm really quite good. I want to run the Edmonton Marathon this year, which would be my first, and I think a sub 3:00 is a realistic goal. I ran a 1:23 half marathon in the same event.

I remember the first time I beat my mom in a 100m sprint. I was, I don't know, 12, and I wouldn't believe her when she was telling me she didn't let me win. Sprinting's never been my strongest suit, though. I finally got into cross country in grade 10, and met with pretty considerable success.

I didn't focus on it much until I started dating Ellen, who loves running herself. I ran a 10k in 2016, with only hiking for training, and did pretty well. But I really started applying myself when I trained for the half marathon in 2018. Edmonton is a gorgeous city to run in, especially along the river in the morning, and I'm really looking forward to attacking the trails this summer. I'm going to need to if I want to finish with a 2 on the clock.