Photography and videography by Matt Trappe
We’ll let you in on a secret: running is the worst. That’s a weird way to start a running article, but it’s an essential jumping-off point. You can trust us, since we’re giving up the game. Running sucks.
At least, it sucks at first. That first run can be excruciating, clearly an abomination against nature and gravity. And let’s not even get into how the stomach responds to persistent up-and-down motion. That’s why non-runners make jokes about running, because they never get beyond those first sucky runs. But give it time and patience, and running can transform into something transcendent and beautiful. You just have to wade through the annoying, painfully slow crap to get there.
That starting-out feeling from your first few runs can also be evident in the return to run process. It’s easy to idealize the sport, thinking about those beautiful mountains you’ll climb and fast paces you’ll run. But all that comes later. To start, it can feel like you’re a hippo with hemorrhoids, painfully lumbering until it’s thankfully, mercifully time to stop.