Running has been my best friend as well as favorite travel companion for a long time.
I don’t remember exactly when we befriended each other perhaps because we didn’t date each other, nor did mutual friends introduce us to each other: we met by pure chance, and our bond grew stronger and stronger over the years. I believe it is one of those bonds that can never be broken as it is now too deep.
As in all friendships, there were good times, bad times, and times when we could not be together, but then we always found each other. Yes, it also happened to me to have moments of low desire, other thoughts, and also to get injured.
But then I always come back to her because she is my solution. It keeps me company and makes me smile when I am happy, consoles me when I am sad, calms me when I am angry or nervous, and makes me feel free when a heavy day or everyday thoughts make me feel caged.
I put on my shoes and go out for a run and it’s better. It always gets better after a good run.
Like any friend, running has also been tremendously honest with me: it has shown me my limitations and accepting them has not been easy, it has made me realize that improvement requires perseverance and commitment, and it has shown me and made me aware of some aspects of my character that are still unknown. She made me grow, especially in the times when she was hardest on me.
I learned to endure fatigue and exhaustion, not to let a bad day get me down, and to look forward with determination. All thanks to the running and the smile that appears on my face when I am with her.
We often went on trips together-sometimes she made the decision, sometimes not. Traveling to run a race or running during a trip to explore a new place are among the absolute things I love most.
I’ve run on the walls of St. Malo in the fog, in Carlton Gardens in Melbourne reflecting on the concept of ‘home,’ in a super-crowded New York wondering what had driven each of us runners to be there at that moment, in the solitude of a forest or above a riverbank.
But how many other places I could mention…
I often run alone, with my own thoughts and the sound of my own footsteps. When thoughts are bad, I imagine crushing them and moving on with the next step. But the beauty of running in company is something unique.
Running is a passion that has always driven me to improve, step by step, by step, by step… and that I hope will stay with me for a long time to come.
Laura Galli
(image credit: yellow2j on DepositPhotos.com)