Getting Started

An Introduction

I fell in love with running by accident.

It’s probably the only way to fall in love with it — gradually. Running is horribly uncomfortable. Unlike other sports, there’s no activity or stimulus to distract you from the exact thing you are doing. Until your mind can simultaneously command your body and divert your attention, every mile feels roughly an hour long. I understand why people quit. 

But if you keep going, eventually everything starts to settle. One day your lungs will find this intoxicating rhythm with your legs and the pavement, and you’ll be sold. In spite of potential pain, the miles become something akin to a surfer’s green room. You’ll lace up again and again looking for another great run. 

It’s these sloppy, sweaty moments that I love. The early days that expose the reality of what it takes to pursue something, and the habits that force each of us to trust a process we haven’t seen the end of. It’s part of what inspired me to seek out the random conversations you’ll find here. What keeps people going when the way forward isn’t clear or particularly fun?

This is a series devoted to people who have had the audacity to bet on themselves. Focusing on how they turned passion into momentum, these stories aren’t about finish lines or summits. They're just about Getting Started.