I run because...

I guess its the kind of perspective that comes with middle-age. Life has been good to me thus far and, at 42, I'm still young enough, fit enough, and lucky enough to enjoy pushing myself physically with no apparent ill effect. And I love the feeling of care-free abandonment that (sometimes) comes to me when I run - especially when (to quote the title of a poem and book by Ian Adams) I'm 'running over rocks'. It's an incredible feeling, a privilege, a gift. Over the past couple of years, I've become increasingly conscious that being able to run is a relatively short-lived, temporary, gift. Given that life is so unpredictable and fragile, I've no idea how much longer I'll be able to keep running for. (Though I love the thought of being able to continue into old age like the guy in the picture on my wardrobe door, I've no idea if that will happen). And so I run while I still can, "laughing" (as Ian Adams puts it) "at the bri...

(I originally wrote this in my journal on 13 April, then sat on it for 10 days before eventually publishing it here) This isn't what I wanted to write on the eve of my 42nd birthday. I wanted to be able to launch my new blog and fundraising page tomorrow with a good number of posts about how much I enjoy running and how good it is for me. But whilst reading the book 'Present Over Perfect' these past few days,  the inconvenient thought has struck that I'm running to get away from something. And I think that 'something' might be stillness. I run because I don't always want to be still. It's strange because running sometimes helps me reach a place of mental stillness and contentment that I don't always get when I'm physically still. When I'm still, I often get stuck. But yet, there is also a sense in which my running is (at least sometimes) blatant escapism - a running away from inconvenient 'home truths', a running away from ...

This September, I'll be doing a 113 mile run along the Northumberland coast, hopefully arriving in Newcastle in time to run another 13.1 miles in the Great North Run. Quite a few people (myself included) have asked 'Why?' This blog is my attempt to answer that question - to provide answers for my baffled family and friends, but also answers for myself. One of my reasons for running is to raise funds for the charity Church Army (more on this later). So if you like what you read, please sponsor me here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyWier

I've got two mugs with this on, one at home and one at work. Both were given to me as presents by people who know me well. I find it quite hard to explain why I run (hence me starting this blog) or to describe what happens to me while I'm running. But the caption on the mugs sums up pretty well part of what I thinks going on: "I run because, somehow, exhausting myself is the most relaxing part of my day". I really like the use of the word "somehow" here. Though the  statement provides a degree of explanation, it also allows for an element of mystery. And for me, there's certainly a lot that is deeply mysterious about running. I don't quite understand how pushing myself physically can feel so deeply restorative mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and yet it often does.  I don't quite understand how on some days a slow 4 mile run can feel like a Herculean effort, while on other days a much longer or faster run can feel like a walk in the ...