I like to run, and I like to travel. A few years ago, I decided to combine these interests and build trips around marathons. Now that I've figured out how to use my digital camera (the basics, at least), I have lots of fun taking pictures, too, so when my super-Starr friend "C" suggested that I start a blog about my running trips, it all clicked.
I started running as an adult, in my mid-20s. Growing up, I never thought I'd be involved in any sport because I am so klutzy. I bump into the edges of doorways if I'm not careful. When I found running, or running found me, it changed my perceptions about myself. Suddenly the limits of what I could do seemed less absolute. What I had thought was impossible might be possible after all.
I've benefited from the help of a few running mentors over the years. Some of them I met by chance in the context of a running event; I'm sure they have no idea what impact their words had on me. The characteristic they all share is their accessibility. They had significantly more running experience than I did, but they didn't talk down to me. They spoke to me on my level. In my lack of experience and impressive stats, they still recognized me as a fellow runner.
But this blog isn't just for runners. The concepts transfer: the endurance, the thrills, the ups and downs, the mundane constancy of working toward a goal and the incomparable satisfaction of achieving it. My mentors in running are also mentors in life, and vice versa.
I hope you'll enjoy reading and exploring my blog, whether you run, travel, or do neither or both. We are all travelers on this planet, all trying to hang in for a long race. Welcome, friend—come journey with me for a while!
