Pace Setter : April 2020

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

by Bill Dodds

                                  Bill Dodds is 1st person on the left

I am new to the area. I have only been here about 4 and a half years. I love to run, but exercising is not the only thing that I get out of it. Here is an incomplete list.

• friends
• learning about the people who live around me
• learning other people’s stories
• enjoying the outside
• feeling that I belong
• hearing laughter
• feeling support of others
• experiencing sights and sounds (and smells around dinnertime when I run through a neighborhood or city.)

I have made several local friends through running. I have also learned a vast amount from these friends. They are helping me transition from a pure runner to an athlete.

So what did the virus do to me so far? Take a look at the list above.

I now do not run in any groups, although I will meet individuals to run with. I was getting into yoga and now that is virtually totally online. Before I was going to three yoga classes a month and running with a group at least once a week, and very soon would have been twice a week.

So emotionally I am dealing with loneliness, among the other feelings. And I don't know when this will end. (Hopefully soon).

If you are going through any of this, you are not alone. We are actually all in this together.

I hope you are well.

---