WHY
I RUN
Why i’m here talking to you
I started running sometime during the Carter—or maybe Reagan—administration.
Not for speed.
Not for medals.
I just wanted to feel better.
And it worked.
My pants fit better.
Food felt earned.
But most of all, I found a kind of peace.
Those early morning runs became a moving meditation.
THE ROUTINE
It started pre-dawn.
I was self-conscious.
Worried I looked awkward.
But I still got up.
Bathroom. Sit. Lace the shoes.
Out the door.
Rain or shine. Dark or daylight.
Even on the worst mornings—wind, snow, ice—I’d say to myself:
“This builds character.”
RUNNING, TEACHING, CAREER
Running gave me more than fitness.
It gave me energy—for street hockey with our sons,
for playing soccer into my 40s,
for teaching advertising at a college for 38 years,
while building a five-decade career in marketing and media.
I’m still working.
Still running.
GRATITUDE IN MOTION
Some days I want to quit.
But then I see a man walking slowly.
Or someone in a wheelchair.
Or I remember someone who can’t move like I can.
And I think:
“I’m lucky. I can run.”
That’s enough.
STILL GOING
I’m 70 now.
Slower.
Grayer.
But still moving.
Every day, unless I’m injured or prepping for a colonoscopy.
Since 2008, I’ve logged over 21,000 miles.
All tracked on Nike+.
LET’S RUN TOGETHER
Used to run?
Never started?
Just walking to feel better?
Good. You belong here.
For health.
For clarity.
For friendship.
For the road ahead.