If there ever were the need for a reason why I run, this eloquent quote would sum it up for me. This topic has seemed to hit a button in the spectacle side of the ultra world lately due to some, if you must say, brash articles and intuitive interviews. This brash, and brilliant I might add, article has really been the main focus of a lot of aggression towards the young author. The "scene" has begun to grumble of his supposed immaturity and seemingly contradictory manner as to what he writes and how he lives. But I see exactly where he is coming from and it doesn't seem immature and I see little to no contradiction in his words and his actions. All that the author is trying to convey in my opinion is that no matter what "hype" may be created organically or commercially, running is running, and we shouldn't lose focus on what really draws us to such a ludicrous activity. Although I love looking at race reports, checking out new shoes that are hitting the market, religiously follow running blogs of friends and elites, that is not what makes me want to run. That is completely secondary and an almost entirely unnecessary part of it all. I run for many reasons, but mostly I run for its transcendent qualities of being in and around Nature. Throughout each day I hear a calm, but demanding voice calling me to the mountains. When I gaze upon a lofty summit, the urge to climb its precipice is so immensely strong that I feel I have done myself and the mountain a disservice by letting it be, untouched by my feet, its grand view not to be seen by my eyes. It feels wrong at the same time to run past an unknown path or trail that looks so inviting, no telling the grandeur it may hold. In this way, running ultras is the gateway that allows me to explore and be a part of something bigger than myself and doing so in a manageable amount of time. I believe and hope that this is what drives most in the ultra community to take part in this enthralling activity. Everything else is secondary.
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